This is How It Happens
When Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, both the United Nations and the United States declared unequivocally that Israel's withdrawal was complete and that all Lebanese territory had been evacuated. Immediately, Hezbollah declared that Israel had in fact not withdrawn from Lebanon - despite what UN peacekeepers walking inch by inch along the border had conclusively proven. Apparently, unbeknownst to anyone, Syria had ceded the Shebaa Farms region - land that it lost to Israel in 1967 - to Lebanon. Hezbollah refused to disarm and continued their anti-Israel violence, claiming that Israel's occupation of the Shebaa Farms meant that Israel was still occupying Lebanese land.
Outside of the Middle East something like this would never pass the laugh test: in 1967, Israel captures Syrian land; in 2000, Syria graciously cedes that land (land that it doesn't have) to Lebanon and Lebanese terrorists attack Israel to "liberate" what has mysteriously become sacrosanct Lebanese land. But when it comes to anti-Israel maneuvering, no nonsense is too surreal to get a fair hearing:
* A year go, we began to notice CNN accepting Hezbollah's perspective and inserting the spineless phrase "disputed Shebaa Farms region" into their stories.
* Last August, the United States inexplicably flipped on black-letter international law and declared that Israel should hand over the Shebba farms to Hezbollah.
* This week, the United Nations joined the United States in seeing things from Lebanon's point of view:
QUESTION: The question is the implementation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and also the signing of a peace treaty between Lebanon and Israel.
SECRETARY GENERAL ANNAN: The dismantling of Palestinian militia in Lebanon does come under 1559, but this is something that the Lebanese authorities will have to handle. And of course, we have discussed this issue with them and they will do it their way in time and organize themselves to do that. The other aspects of 1559 that we have implemented were discussed here in this house and in this room.
As to the signing of a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, that is a matter that the two countries will have to discuss. I'm not sure that on the Lebanese side they are ready to do that as long as they believe the Shebba Farms is still under contention. And I think in time that may happen, but I don't see it on the cards today.
What this demonstrates is that even when Israel fully complies with international demands, Arab and Muslim diplomats and terrorists will always demand more land - and eventually the international community will side against Israel. Even if the international community at first verifies that Israel has fulfilled all its obligations, Israel's enemies always come up with something else that is somehow "rightfully theirs" - and which Israel has to give back "in the name of peace." Then they attack Israel because of that the newly occupied land, and the cycle begins again: diplomats and journalists will ignore what everyone knows (that the Arab excuses are transparent pretexts) and begin to speak neutrally of "disputes" and "grievances". And then a little while later, State Department and Quartet "suggestions" become "demands" and "demands" becomes "pressure" - until the terrorists have successfully moved the goalposts and Israel is again expected to "make sacrifices for peace".
Israel withdrew from Lebanon and even the United Nations certified that their withdrawal was complete. Hezbollah, needing an excuse to continue killing Israelis, brazenly just asserted the patently false claim that the Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese territory. And now they're going to get away with it. But now Secretary Rice and Secretary General Annan are declaring that there will be peace if Israel just gives in to Arabs' demands one last time.
[Cross-posted at IsraPundit]
Outside of the Middle East something like this would never pass the laugh test: in 1967, Israel captures Syrian land; in 2000, Syria graciously cedes that land (land that it doesn't have) to Lebanon and Lebanese terrorists attack Israel to "liberate" what has mysteriously become sacrosanct Lebanese land. But when it comes to anti-Israel maneuvering, no nonsense is too surreal to get a fair hearing:
* A year go, we began to notice CNN accepting Hezbollah's perspective and inserting the spineless phrase "disputed Shebaa Farms region" into their stories.
* Last August, the United States inexplicably flipped on black-letter international law and declared that Israel should hand over the Shebba farms to Hezbollah.
* This week, the United Nations joined the United States in seeing things from Lebanon's point of view:
QUESTION: The question is the implementation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and also the signing of a peace treaty between Lebanon and Israel.
SECRETARY GENERAL ANNAN: The dismantling of Palestinian militia in Lebanon does come under 1559, but this is something that the Lebanese authorities will have to handle. And of course, we have discussed this issue with them and they will do it their way in time and organize themselves to do that. The other aspects of 1559 that we have implemented were discussed here in this house and in this room.
As to the signing of a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, that is a matter that the two countries will have to discuss. I'm not sure that on the Lebanese side they are ready to do that as long as they believe the Shebba Farms is still under contention. And I think in time that may happen, but I don't see it on the cards today.
What this demonstrates is that even when Israel fully complies with international demands, Arab and Muslim diplomats and terrorists will always demand more land - and eventually the international community will side against Israel. Even if the international community at first verifies that Israel has fulfilled all its obligations, Israel's enemies always come up with something else that is somehow "rightfully theirs" - and which Israel has to give back "in the name of peace." Then they attack Israel because of that the newly occupied land, and the cycle begins again: diplomats and journalists will ignore what everyone knows (that the Arab excuses are transparent pretexts) and begin to speak neutrally of "disputes" and "grievances". And then a little while later, State Department and Quartet "suggestions" become "demands" and "demands" becomes "pressure" - until the terrorists have successfully moved the goalposts and Israel is again expected to "make sacrifices for peace".
Israel withdrew from Lebanon and even the United Nations certified that their withdrawal was complete. Hezbollah, needing an excuse to continue killing Israelis, brazenly just asserted the patently false claim that the Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese territory. And now they're going to get away with it. But now Secretary Rice and Secretary General Annan are declaring that there will be peace if Israel just gives in to Arabs' demands one last time.
[Cross-posted at IsraPundit]
