Soccer Dad

Disappointing

(via memeorandum )According to Herb Keinon of the Jerusalem Post

The US is "counseling" Israel to negotiate a possible withdrawal from the Mount Dov (Shaba Farms) area with Lebanon as part of a long-term arrangement for Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

This issue was one of the focuses of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's talks in Jerusalem Tuesday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Israel Matzav observes

The problem with this is that the US is counseling Israel to negotiate with Lebanon and the UN has said that the area belongs to Syria. Syria refuses to negotiate with Lebanon over it until Israel withdraws. And you can bet that the Syrians are also going to want to negotiate over the Golan Heights at the same time - something Israel will refuse to do.

Israpundit.Ted Belman writes

ISRAEL SHOULD REFUSE . THE UN DECIDED IT WAS SYRIAN LAND. END OF STORY.

Given that the administration supports the need for there to be peace in the Middle East, it's more than a little disturbing that they'd even bring up Shebaa Farms. It was captured by Israel in 1967 from Syria. Syria deeded the area back to Lebanon just so that Hezbollah would still have a pretext to attack Israel after the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Even discussing Shebaa farms is handing a victory to Hezbollah and Syria.

Ceding Shebaa Farms to Hezbollah is not a way forward. At least the Bush administration understands that Israel must win this war. David Ignatius thinks that it's best for Israel to stop with a job half done.

Lebanese sources outlined for me the compromise package they say was discussed Monday when Rice met with Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, and Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker and leader of the Shiite militia known as Amal. The cornerstone of this package, according to my sources, is that Hezbollah would agree to withdraw its armed fighters from south Lebanon and accept an international force there that would accompany the Lebanese army. Israel, for its part, would agree to halt its attacks and lift its air and sea blockade. The United States would call for negotiations over the return of a disputed territory known as Shebaa Farms, claimed by Lebanon even though the United Nations ruled in 2000 that it was Syrian.

Within 24 hours after a cease-fire, there would be an exchange of prisoners as part of this package: Hezbollah would give up the two Israeli soldiers it captured in the July 12 border raid that started the crisis; Israel would release Lebanese prisoners it holds.

Not just does Ignatius want Israel to validate Hezbollah's claim, but he considers a prisoner exchange a compromise.

Who should be included? Samir Kuntar?

When Israel agreed to release Palestinian prisoners as part of the Oslo accords it was supposed to be part of a bigger deal. Israel was acknowledging that the PLO was a legitimate organization and therefore those involved in political activity on its behalf would be forgiven. It was never supposed to include actual terrorists, though the Palesitnians have insisted on it and the world has encouraged the Palestinian side.

I suspect that Ignatius not only wants Israel to legitimize Hezbollah by ceding Shebaa farms but by freeing actual terrorists too in order to gain the freedom of its kidnapped soldiers. He wants an Israeli surrender.

The Bush administration's position isn't as bad, but it's still troubling.

Judeopundit has more.

Technorati tags: Shebaa Farms, Israel, Hezbollah.