A turn of events

The sentiment within the Arab has turned from one of open condemnation against the actions of the Hezbollah into one of an understanding. This turn of events is taking place due to the high civilian casualties resulting from the Israeli bombing of military targets created by the Hezbollah. What this means is the Hezbollah have truly mastered the fine art of guerrilla warfare in turning public sentiment towards them when they are the true culprits by initially firing rockets from within the city infrastructure creating the targets of opportunity in the first place.

The Israeli Defense Force, IDF is now involved in a difficult situation along this new turn of sentiment, they are condemned for open destruction and condemned for continuing the war. Present Arab sentiment shows that It no longer matters that the Israelis were the initial targets by the Hezbollah, nor that the Hezbollah entered Israel in an act of war, it only matters to the Arab world that Israel is bombing civilian targets, nothing more.

In the recent case of the bombing of Qana where 60 civilians including children were killed, Israeli newspapers reports that Some 150 rockets were fired from the Lebanese village of Qana over the past 20 days, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. Amir Eshel. The fact that Israel was defending itself has little to do with public opinion, another victory for the Hezbollah in the media and among the Arab community.

Now present Arab thinking is that America is underwriting and supporting Israel in the destruction of the Hezbollah to make them pay for the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in which 241 U.S. service members lost their lives. This is due to comments made a year after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center where Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage when he was asked about the Hezbollah he replied, "Their time will come," he vowed. "There is no question about it. They have a blood debt to us, and we're not going to forget it."

My thoughts to this new line of thinking is if this is truly the case then we need to support Israel even more in their move to destroy the Hezbollah. If this is truly the “pay back” to the Hezbollah for the Marine bombings then I openly support the decision. They outright murdered 241 of our people and they were never brought to bear for their actions, if that is now the case then we need to remember that incident, burn it into our minds and offer even more support for the Israeli Defense Force.

As far as the change in Arab sentiment that too has backfired, it has now created a situation that Israel cannot withdraw without achieving a total victory, for to do so would admit defeat. The Hezbollah may have mastered the art of warfare, but the Israelis have something more, a total dedication to victory now that support is changing, only time will be the judge of the outcome.