Doc's Talk: On 4th Anniversary of Israel's 2006 Defensive War, Hezbollah Amasses Weaponry, Troops on Northern Border

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

On 4th Anniversary of Israel's 2006 Defensive War, Hezbollah Amasses Weaponry, Troops on Northern Border

The Israel Project
UNIFIL Fails to Uphold Mandate to Stop Iran-backed Hezbollah

July 12 marks the fourth anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s defensive war against Hezbollah, known as the Second Lebanon War.[1] Hezbollah, a terrorist group that is politically, financially, and militarily backed by Iran, is believed to have tripled its missile and rocket arsenal since the start of the war.[2] [3]

In the meantime, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has failed in its responsibility to prevent Hezbollah from rearming following the Aug. 14, 2006 ceasefire that ended the war.[4]

The Israeli military released areal photographs on Thursday (July 8) of Al-Khiam village in southern Lebanon, located two miles (four km) from Israel’s border, which shows Hezbollah’s military buildup in more than 100 civilian villages.[5] Information was also released that Hezbollah has approximately 20,000 militia and as many as 200 fighters stationed in every Shia village in southern Lebanon.[6] srael Defense Forces’ (IDF) spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich said July 8 that Hezbollah has “warehouses of rockets near mosques, schools, medical centres, in the middle of villages, and they look like any other building." She added, "They have taken the term 'human shields' to a new extreme."[7]

Background: The start of Hezbollah’s war against Israel

Israel’s defensive war against Iran-backed Hezbollah began July 12, 2006, when a cell of the terrorist group in Lebanon infiltrated the internationally recognized border with Israel, fired on two IDF jeeps and detonated explosives nearby. Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers in the attacks while at the same time firing thousands of rockets and mortar shells into northern Israeli communities.[8]

Two Israeli reservists, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev – on a routine patrol of the Israeli side of the border - were kidnapped by Hezbollah in the initial attack on the IDF jeeps.[9] Their remains were returned to Israel on July 16, 2008 in exchange for the release of convicted murderer Samir Kuntar, four other Lebanese terrorists and the bodies of dozens of other Palestinian and Lebanese terrorists.[10]

A total of 44 Israeli civilians and 119 IDF soldiers were killed[11] in the month-long war.[12]

UNIFIL and its role in stopping Iran-backed Hezbollah

UNIFIL is responsible for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which explicitly prohibits Hezbollah from rearming, since the ceasefire was implemented.[13] It has failed to halt Hezbollah from defying UNSC Resolution 1701 and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated that Hezbollah’s existing weapons stockpile violates existing Security Council resolutions.[14]

Tensions are running high between UNIFIL peacekeepers and southern Lebanese villagers in Hezbollah-controlled areas after villagers disarmed and attacked a UNIFIL soldier.[15] UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said on July 2, 2010, “UNIFIL’s freedom of movement was violated and UN troop-contributing countries are quite concerned.” France convened an emergency meeting of the UNSC on July 8 to address the recent violence [16]

In April, Syria was accused of delivering truckloads of long-range Scud missiles to Hezbollah, in violation of UNSC Resolution 1701.[17] The terrorist group now has missiles and rockets that can travel from southern Lebanon to the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheba.[18]

In April 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in response to Syria’s weapons shipment to Hezbollah, "All states must stop supplying weapons to terrorist groups such as Hizbollah and Hamas. Every rocket smuggled into southern Lebanon or Gaza sets back the cause of peace."[19]

[1] Harel, Amos and Khoury, Jack, “ Families of missing soldiers briefed ahead of Hezbollah deal,” Haaretz, June 18, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/994063.html

[2] Lis, Jonathan; Harel, Amos, “Syria gave advanced M-600 missiles to Hezbollah, defense officials claim,” Haaretz, May 5, 2010, http://www.haaretz.com/news/syria-gave-advanced-m-600-missiles-to-hezbollah-defense-officials-claim-1.288356; Harel, Amos, “Defense officials: Renew diplomatic pressure on Syria as Hezbollah rearms,” Haaretz, July 13, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/defense-officials-renew-diplomatic-pressure-on-syria-as-hezbollah-rearms-1.249590; “Netanyahu: Israel Not Planning War with Iran,” al Manar, February 17, 2010, http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=124886&searchText=hezbollah&language=en

[3] Mcgregor-Wood, Simon, “Scud Missiles to Hezbollah Raising Mideast Tensions,” ABC News, April 13, 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/International/scud-missile-shipment-hezbollah-raises-mideast-tensions/story?id=10361973; Avni, Benny, “Hezbollah Has Tripled Its Missile Arsenal, Barak Warns,” New York Sun, July 30, 2008, http://www.nysun.com/foreign/hezbollah-has-tripled-its-missile-arsenal-barak/82836/

[4] “UNIFIL Mandate,” United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unifil/mandate.shtml. Accessed July 10, 2010

[5] Associated Press, “Israel Releases Photos Showing Hizbullah Weapons inside Villages,” Naharnet, July 7, 2010, http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/Lebanon/211F0E285469063EC225775A0015EFF8?OpenDocument

[6] Pfeffer, Anshel, “Hezbollah readying for urban war in southern Lebanon, IDF warns,” Haaretz, July 7, 2010, http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/hezbollah-readying-for-urban-war-in-southern-lebanon-idf-warns-1.300617

[7] Moser, Patrick, “Israel images 'show Hezbollah hiding arms',” AFP, July 8, 2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h9HSk3U8306wTB1ofC51c0XFGjWg

[8] Harel, Amos and Khoury, Jack, “ Families of missing soldiers briefed ahead of Hezbollah deal,” Haaretz, June 18, 2008,http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/994063.html; Appel, Yoav, “Goldwasser, Regev families await word,” The Jerusalem Post, July 13, 2006, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1150885991147

[9] Appel, Yoav, “Goldwasser, Regev families await word,” The Jerusalem Post, July 13, 2006, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1150885991147

[10] “Behind the Headlines: The return of Israel's abducted soldiers,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, July 16, 2008, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Return+of+Israel+abducted+soldiers+16-Jul-2008.htm; Harel, Amos, "Cabinet Ratifies Hezbollah Prisoner Swap Deal, 22-3," Haaretz, July 15, 2008, http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1002257.html

[11] “Israel-Hizbullah conflict: Victims of rocket attacks and IDF casualties,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed July 3, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Israel-Hizbullah+conflict-+Victims+of+rocket+attacks+and+IDF+casualties+July-Aug+2006.htm

[12] “Israel-Hizbullah conflict: Victims of rocket attacks and IDF casualties,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, accessed July 3, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Lebanon-+Hizbullah/Israel-Hizbullah+conflict-+Victims+of+rocket+attacks+and+IDF+casualties+July-Aug+2006.htm

[13] “UNIFIL Mandate,” United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon,
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unifil/mandate.shtml. Accessed July 10, 2010

[14] “UN warns of renewed violence between Hezbollah and Israel,” AFP, July 3, 2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iDldsm-NcqdDv6Ws2zVN2ZT2QFIw

[15] “Villagers disarm UN patrol in south Lebanon: army,” AFP, July 4, 2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jHZaSTCwwzNql-lA5Ezwh5CldQ_g

[16] “Security Council Meets Friday to Discuss UNIFIL-Residents Clashes,” Naharnet, July 8, 2010, http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/Lebanon/4EF730FF1B910761C225775A001A3E04?OpenDocument; “Freedom of movement for peacekeepers in Lebanon must be ensured –UN,” United Nations News Centre, July 2, 2010, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35229&Cr=leban&Cr1=

[17] Mozgovaya, Natasha, “Clinton: Syria's provocations may plunge Middle East into war,” Haaretz, April 30, 2010, http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/clinton-syria-s-provocations-may-plunge-middle-east-into-war-1.287504

[18] Mcgregor-Wood, Simon, “Scud Missiles to Hezbollah Raising Mideast Tensions,” ABC News, April 13, 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/International/scud-missile-shipment-hezbollah-raises-mideast-tensions/story?id=10361973

[19] Mozgovaya, Natasha, “Clinton: Syria's provocations may plunge Middle East into war,” Haaretz, April 30, 2010, http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/clinton-syria-s-provocations-may-plunge-middle-east-into-war-1.287504

The Israel Project is an international nonprofit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel. The Israel Project is not related to any government or government agency. The Israel Project authorizes and welcomes use of any part or all of this release/statement free of charge and without attribution.

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk