Can Israel Win? (Israel Is Losing?????!)

[wellst0nev0ter]

July 22, 2006 -- ISRAEL is losing this war. For a lifelong Israel supporter, that's a painful thing to write. But it's true. And the situation's worsening each day.

A U.S. government official put it to me this way: "Israel's got the clock, but Hezbollah's got the time." The sands of the hourglass favor the terrorists - every day they hold out and drop more rockets on Israel, Hezbollah scores a propaganda win.

All Hezbollah has to do to achieve victory is not to lose completely. But for Israel to emerge the acknowledged winner, it has to shatter Hezbollah. Yet Israeli miscalculations have left Hezbollah alive and kicking.

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/can_israel_win__opedcolumnists_ralph_peters.htm

As Billmon says, this author is an Israel hawk and a neocon through and through: last March he took an embedded joyride through Baghdad and incredulously said that the U.S. is winning the war in Eye-Rack. His worries are pretty eye-opening indeed.

Be sure to read the rest of Billmon's commentary.

[TomClash]

1. Two points

Though the War appears far tougher than Israel expected, tt's a bit early to talk about "winning" and "losing."

It will be spun as an Israeli victory no matter what.

[China_cat]

2. Israel right now reminds me

of the abused child who grew up to be an abuser.

[cali]

3. Seeing your post

reminds me how little use I have for pop psychology.

[jonnyblitz]

4. exactly, and with a vengeance. nt

[xchrom]

5. part of this conflict is about controlling history.

[izzie]

6. Who wins a guerrilla war?

I do not know much of that history but if the guerrillas have the people with them I guess they would win. In Vietnam the Fr, said the guerrillas had the people before we even got there and they lost and left but we did not hear them or we did and it went in one ear and right out. Terror seems to be a type of fighting and guerrilla war fare seems more like a ground up thing. I am not so sure I could figure out what this is. Both sides seem to be using terror on each other. One side is a standing army of a gov. and the other seems to be part of the regular gov. and an arm of that part.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Instead of lasting and improving peace, Israel chose destruction and

created more terrorism for decades to come.

Israel says they are defending themselves in their stuck-in-the-mud tit for tat policies, but nearly 1 million homeless and and the destruction of Lebanon's reconstructed infrastructure is not tit for tat.

We are told that this attack on Lebanon has been planned for over a year.

Using the tactics of the right wing, the hostage could have been staged.

I can't support physical retaliation in a stuck tit-for-tat policy set - It is historically repulsive, useless, and juvenile to me. Therefore, if Israel is genuinely taking revenge as stated, I can't agree. If this attack was planned for over a year as reported, I can't agree. If this attack is the first stage in a joint US/UK attack plan for three countries, I can't agree.

I can only honor the need for people to expect continuity of generations, a free and peaceful place to raise kids, the expectation that those kids can do the same - without hunger, with a roof, with clean air and water, with space and marketplace to create. Laughing, safe, and thriving children is the key to all.

Blessed be the peacemakers. To heck with peace destroyers, especially those in our own country.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Nah, this is another neocon complaining about the management of the war

His complaint is not that Israel is ravaging Lebanon, but that the ravaging did not go far enough!

Israel tried to make war halfway, and only made a mess.

He also gets hysterical and apocalyptic, just as the GOP gets when one mentions withdrawing from Iraq.

Israel can't afford a Hezbollah win. America can't afford it. Civilization can't afford it.

So you see, if we hadn't been frightened into invading Iraq, and the Israel Lobby did play a role in frightening us, we wouldn't be so cynical now when someone yells "wolf."

karma!

[bemildred]

9. "Take the gloves off!!!!!"

Yeah, I put it up before too, or somebody did.