Lebanon, Israel Should be Allies

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL

 

August, 2006

 The idea that any state should passively accept random attacks of violence across its border by a terrorist organization is only slightly less ridiculous than the notion that a state can cede authority to a terrorist organization for part of its territory and still expect to be considered a sovereign country.

 Israel has every right to fill the void left by Lebanon in its southern region. When Israeli territory and its citizens were attacked by Hezbolla, Israel not only had the right to defend itself, it had the duty to do so.

 One question that must be considered is whether Israel should be attacking Hezbolla in Lebanon or whether it should mount a full-scale attack, possibly with the help of the U.S., on Syria and/or Iran. Hezbolla is nothing more than a pack of day laborers with a blank check for weapons from these terrorist countries. Defeat these terrorist states and Hezbolla will fold up like a cheap suit.

 Lebanon also needs to consider its options.

Instead of confronting Israel, Lebanon should ally itself with Israel to defeat Hezbolla. After a joint operation to crush the terrorists, the agreement would specify that Israel would then withdraw from Lebanon and Lebanese forces would take control of their southern provinces. At that point, Israel and Lebanon would sign a mutual defense pact against Syria, Iran and any other Islamofascist terrorist organization that threatens their sovereignty.

 The result of such an alliance is clear: That region of the world would be much less susceptible to terrorism; Lebanon would be a fully functioning democracy; the economies of both Israel and Lebanon would prosper; and, Syria and Iran would be further isolated.