I lived in Lebanon for 15 years, and during that time I visited southern Lebanon more times than I can remember.
The first few times I went to the Israeli-Lebanese border, there was just a fence.
You could see the beautiful farms on the Israeli side. Sometimes you’d notice people going about their work, and every now and then an Israeli patrol passing between the double fence.
On the Lebanese side, I saw the Shia villages, people immersed in a culture of sacred violence.
Flags everywhere. Images of Khamenei, Hassan Nasrallah, and Hezbollah fighters. Slogans on buildings that made everything feel heavy and ugly.
A few years later, Israel reinforced the fence. There had been harassment of soldiers, and more security was needed. Still, you could catch glimpses of the other side, the contrast remained.
A couple of years later, I was sad when I went to the usual spot and found a massive wall. All I could see was the ugliness on our side.
Israel never initiated aggression against us. It was pushed to build checkpoints, fences, and walls, and when necessary, to come in and deal with those who know nothing but death.
Mario frames his post as if Israel wants to occupy and control Lebanon, when in reality Israel is doing what the incompetent Lebanese government failed to do for decades.
Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbors. It is the neighbors, driven by a divine mandate to erase Israel, who keep bringing out the worst in it.
A few thoughts on Operation Grim Beeper.
1) This is one of the most astonishing intelligence operations in history. It is a reworking of the story of the Trojan Horse for the digital age, and it deserves to become nearly as legendary as its iconic predecessor. If we are not utterly astounded, it is because we have seen too many James Bond and Black Mirror movies for our own good.
In real life, operations like this just don’t happen. It is at least four operations in one.
First, the Israelis thoroughly mapped Hezbollah’s supply chain.
Second, they invented a special explosive charge small enough to be inserted inside a handheld device, sophisticated enough to be remotely activated, big enough to do real harm, and yet not so prominent physically or electronically to call attention to itself.
Third, the Israelis turned themselves into a big enough link in Hezbollah’s procurement network to take physical control of the devices and rig them.
Fourth, they activated the charges simultaneously and across a very wide geographic area.
If any one of these sub-operations had been botched, the operation as a whole would have fizzled. Who else in the world could pull off such an imaginative, technically sophisticated and audacious plot?
So when Israel uses precision strikes, it's terrorism.
When we go on the ground with an army, it's terrorism.
And when we detonate small devices that 100% will be on enemy combatants it is, wouldn't you guess it, terrorism.
But Hezbollah can rain down indiscriminate rockets and Hamas can light houses with children inside them on fire and that's resistance.
The problem isn't how we are defending ourselves, it's that we are the ones doing it.
This is the captor of Noa Argamani, he held her hostage in his home, around his kids and family.
He is also employed by @AlJazeeraWorld@AlJazeera.
This is what people support? The Jihadist death cult that kidnaps people, holds them hostage for 8 months and then complain about being hurt in the process of the rescue? Why did they hid her amongst civilians?
Because it's a 7th century death cult and it's coming to where you live.
This will not stop in Israel, Hamas-ISIS swor to kill all infidels (non Muslims) and Jews are just the first.
#HamasisISIS
#AlJazeeraisISIS
Breaking News: Just now, #Hamas snipers have reportedly killed dozens of children and women on the streets, targeting those attempting to travel from north to south #Gaza and those displaying white flags as a sign of peace. Similar acts have previously been attributed to Palestinian and #Hezbollah terrorists in Syria. They do not want civilians to leave; they want to use them as human shields and kill anyone who attempts to leave. Hamas terrorists in Gaza will, as usual, blame #Israel because it is easy and there is media that accepts this propaganda.
#HamasisISIS #HamasTerrorrists