Peloni: We have shared many perspectives regarding the recent ceasefire deal in Lebanon in recent days, but amid all the conjecture and conclusions which either defend or attack Bibi for having alternatively capitulated to the US or cleverly outwitted the US, but the greater consequence of this deal seems to have been lost on many. It has not however been lost on Tony Badran who explains that whatever Israel avoided by signing this deal, they signed away part of their sovereignty.
by Tony Badran
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/obama-dead-man-hand-wins-lebanon
Keelie: The earth is full of people who know Israel is magical
when it comes to saving lives, even lives of it’s enemies !
Too bad they don’t know Israel can/will be magical when it comes to
losing the lives of many of it’s enemies !
The enemies will not be remembered too long (what’s 1400 years or so?)
Eddie…..aka…..tzvi
to all: It’s a crazy republic !
250 years ago a man gave some money to a bunch of
FREEDOM FIGHTERS LED BY GEORGE !
The man is buried in Philadelphia !
Only us jews remember Sam
Eddie…..aka…..tzvi
Tony Badran is a man who knows Lebanon quite well, knows the geopolitics of the Middle East very well, and someone I have come to trust for objective information.
That said, I do not know that this ceasefire deal actually LOCKS IN the US empowerment of Iran and Hezbollah. It seems like it truly was a vanity project of Obama’s. And it is even likely that Obama hoped and planned it would LOCK IN continued US financial support of the Lebanese Army and thus Hezbollah.
But negotiating with terrorists is usually a waste of all the time put into it because Islamic radicals have their own unique idea of what negotiation means. To them it means, “You give me everything I want, then we can negotiate.” The negotiation itself signaled Israel’s weakness, and this was one of Obama’s main aims.
But I do not expect Hezbollah to refrain from their activities or keep to any agreement when their whole reason for being is to destroy Israel. This is not a business deal between two businessmen working to “get to yes.” It’s a fraudulent agreement based upon a fantasy, just as the previous cease fire agreement was in 2006.
Once Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire (and I have heard there have already been 4 violations) Israel will either respond or not, depending upon the entire military situation and calculation.
I understood this ceasefire as a stopgap measure on Israel’s part to ensure weapons would not be withheld, as the US had Israel over a barrel by withholding weapons prior to this ceasefire.
Once Trump is in office, there is no reason that this deal cannot be renegotiated if Hezbollah has not violated the current one (which they have already violated).
That is why I am not certain that this deal LOCKS ISRAEL IN and prevents Israel from finishing off Hezbollah.
The people of Israel want Hezbollah and Hamas finished off. There is no political constituency in Israel for dropping the ball at this point. If anyone knows this, I believe Netanyahu does.
The people who want to lock in empowerment of Iran are the same people seeking to provoke Putin into using nuclear weapons, and the same people who think the US can fight and win a war against Putin and Xi Jinping at the same time! These people are psychopaths who don’t care how many millions of people die as a result of their decisions, and they certainly are dangerous as a result.
The hope in electing Donald Trump for President was that the neocon strangulation of the American people (not to mention the lives of many people around the globe) over foreign policy would be addressed.
It probably will take more than one administration to fully address the “blob,” but they will not be able to have full rein during Trump’s term like they did during Biden/Obama’s.
I believe it’s rather presumptuous to assume that one knows what is actually in the minds of Bibi and his military.
Let me put it this way: Israel has a record of greatly surprising us with their approaches to just about everything it does, especially it’s military tactics.
I would therefore suggest that we prepare some popcorn and have it available for watching what is no doubt bound to happen over the next couple of months… whatever that will be.