Soccer Dad

Haveil havalim daily edition 07/27/2006

In depth: The Washington Post and New York Times today reported on the war crime committed by Hezbollah terrorists.

One of Hezbollah's most troublesome position from which it fired upon soldiers was the towering mosque in the village.

"There were maybe 30 terrorists [in the mosque]," Shalom said.

Whoops, that was Ha'aretz, which also described the heroic efforts of the soldiers sympathetically.

The Washington Post reports from a different angle Hezbollah Proves a Formidable Foe.

But Israeli military officials say they have not been surprised by Hezbollah's prowess in the cramped towns and hilly, forested terrain that the Shiite Muslim militia has controlled since Israel left southern Lebanon six years ago. Instead, many of them say, losses such as these expose the limits of a modern national army pitted against a well-schooled guerrilla force fighting amid a civilian population that largely supports its goals

Well schooled? By whom? Perhaps it's less the weakness of Israel than the strength of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is underwritten and armed by a rogue state or two (mentioned at the end of the article) and is willing to flout international norms of warfare (ignored in the article).

The Post only uses quotes from analysts not from anyone on the battlefield.
The article gives the impression that Israel is fighting a losing battle. An interesting note is that a fellow named Timur Goksel is quoted. He's described as being someone

... who watched Hezbollah grow into a potent force during 25 years as a senior adviser to the U.N. observer force along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Interesting that the peacekeepers are described as observers who watched Hezbollah build its strength, apparently unhindered.

Overall the Post approach is to show what a difficult time Israel will have.

The New York in contrast actually talks to Israeli officers in the field. And while it focuses on the difficulties Israel is facing it gives context (totally lacking in the Post article)

Several officers said the military’s losses must be considered against those suffered during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, when about 100 Israeli soldiers died in the first days of the war. Tens of thousands of soldiers went across the border in that invasion, bypassing major towns and villages until they reached the Litani River, more than 20 miles inland in some places.

But what's lacking from the two American newspapers is the use of a mosque by Hezbollah. Also there's a failure to mention that many of the injured Israeli soldiers were injured not in combat but as they transported their wounded comraded to safety. Both are mentioned by Ha'aretz.

And however bleak Ha'aretz paints the picture, it quotes a soldier at the end"Even after a day like this, the morale is higher," said Ram Boneh, a 20-year-old resident of Hadera who was lightly wounded by shrapnel. "I want to go out and return to active duty."

And it even concludes on an optimistic note

"At 12:30, [Boneh] called and told us he was in Rambam and that we shouldn't worry," Boneh's mother, Heska, said. "We came here immediately from Hadera. It's very hard for me [to deal] with what is happening. I'm Dutch and I wasn't educated on the army, and it's very difficult for me to deal with the fact that he's a fighter. But I am with him and I trust him as well as the entire army."

Jewlicious isn't so positive but makes an important point

This is not just Hizbullah - the tactics, arms and training are too sophisticated. This is a proxy arm and by extension, apparently, a part of the Iranian army. They have spent years planning for an Israeli incursion, building fortifications and tunnels, arming themselves to the teeth and preparing for a rocket and missile attack on Israel’s population centers. The IDF seems to have seriously underestimated the extent of Hizbullah’s development as a force and has fought this war accordingly.

Meryl also opts for the positive.

Regular Stuff:
Occidentality notes that Hezbollah is quick to claim kills of Israeli soldiers, even exaggerated ones, but is strangely reticent about its own losses. That and much, much more.

Israel Matzav points to a poignant article by Rabbi Yehonoson Rosenblum that emphasizes that all Israelis are in this together.

Hegemonic Discourse wants the UN to investigate ... itself.

The astute blogger gloats that Nasrallah doesn't have any privacy. I'd be thrilled if Astute's prediction pans out, but it seems a bit optimistic.

Colossus of Rhodey.Hube went to and reports from Delaware's Rally for Israel.

(via Cosmic X) Jumping on the bandwagon pays tribute to his fallen friend.

The first Shabbat we were in the army, we were given the weekend off, but two soldiers had to stay on base. We all looked at each other, no one wanted to be the guy stuck there on our first weekend off. But not a moment passed before Amichai's hand was in the air. "Ani mitnadev", he said. I'll volunteer. Those words defined who he was, always volunteering first to do the things no one else wanted to do.

While I don't agree with the whole thing, Deja Vu translates a Joschka Fischer opinion piece. (also available here.)

Assignment desk:

Eugene Robinson:

The one thing that's clear so far is that Rice believes that allowing Israel to decimate Hezbollah and drive what's left of the group out of southern Lebanon is such a valuable step toward her "new" Middle East that it's worth crippling a nascent Arab democracy with hundreds of civilian casualties and billions of dollars worth of infrastructure damage.

VS.
Charles Krauthammer:

Had Israel wanted to destroy Lebanese civilian infrastructure, it would have turned out the lights in Beirut in the first hour of the war, destroying the billion-dollar power grid and setting back Lebanon 20 years. It did not do that. Instead, it attacked dual-use infrastructure -- bridges, roads, airport runways -- and blockaded Lebanon's ports to prevent the reinforcement and resupply of Hezbollah. Ten-thousand Katyusha rockets are enough. Israel was not going to allow Hezbollah 10,000 more.

Compare/Contrast/Discuss

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Posted by SoccerDad at July 28, 2006 5:44 AM