[Column] Israel’s double war

Yu Dal-seung, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Israel’s military attack in southern Lebanon over abductions in Palestine on June 25 and Lebanon on July 12 is turning into an all-out war. Israel’s response was instantaneous, and it has political goals that go beyond this being a simple retaliation. It is waging wars on two fronts. They are each related and have common goals.

The situation began when the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) kidnapped an Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Why would an armed Palestinian group make such a desperate move? The action cannot be seen as a simple impulsive kidnapping.

On June 8 Israel killed four men, including Jamal Abu Samhadan, the founder of the PRC that had been named head of the security forces for the Palestinian Interior Ministry. The next day, Israel bombed a beach in Gaza, killing seven members of a Palestinian family and injuring 32 others. In response, Hamas declared an end to the cease fire it had maintained with Israel since February of last year and joined with armed groups to launch a rocket attack on an Israeli village near Gaza. Israel retaliated immediately, and numerous civilians were killed in the course of a series of bombings and attacks. If you look carefully at the course of events, Israel brought about the current situation.

Another problem is to be found in the use of the words "kidnap" and "arrest." Most media say the PRC and Hezbollah "kidnapped" Israeli soldiers, but then report that Israel "arrested" sixty Hamas officials on June 29. Israel calls the actions of armed groups of Palestine and Lebanon "terrorism" and the U.S. sympathizes, calling Israel’s attack a matter of self-defense. The way the media uses the terms "kidnap" and "arrest" reflects the views of the U.S. and Israel. But are not the innocent civilians killed in Israeli air raids also victims of terror?

Israel’s attack on Gaza and invasion of Lebanon are an attempt to achieve regime change in the area, and by doing so increase its influence and stop the spread of the Islamic movement. It is trying to intimidate the Hamas government by holding eight members of the cabinet who belong to the organization. Meanwhile, it is intensifying its control over the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - while it tries to make progress on its plans for its dividing wall and additional Israeli settlements.

Israel is trying to remove Hezbollah from the scene in Lebanon and establish a pro-Israeli government there. Hezbollah has become highly influential in Lebanon since the assassination of prime minister Rafiq Hariri last year. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 for the same reason, but it failed to accomplish its goal.

One of the motives behind the military attack on Hamas and Hezbollah is to stop the spread of the Islamic movement as Islamists move to join or create parties and become part of the established political process. The U.S. and Israel are trying to extend the situation to something affecting whole Middle East, saying Iran and Syria are behind what is happening. Subsequently, there is an increasing chance the world is going to see another war in the Middle East, involving both Iran and Syria.

This latest series of events is going to change the political landscape in the region. The Palestinian question is going to kindle new strife that angers Arabs and, by doing so, strengthen the position of Israeli hardliners. Solidarity among Shiites that centers around Iran will become more prominent. You can already see this happening, as at an emergency meeting of the Arab League on July 15, officials from some Arab governments reacted negatively to Hezbollah’s recent actions. Thanks in part to cooperation from Syria and Hamas, Shiite solidarity among Iran, Iraq, and Hezbollah is rising as a leading force in the Middle East.