In reporting on this development, Haaretz advises,
[..] France and the United States are also ratcheting up their pressure on Israel, in the belief that a withdrawal from the Shaba Farms will strengthen the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will be coming to the region next week, pressed Olmert during the Second Lebanon War to withdraw from Shaba to bolster Siniora. Olmert refused, saying the move would be viewed by Hezbollah as a victory. Israel and the UN discussed Shaba ahead of the release two weeks ago of the periodic report on the implementation of Resolution 1701. The UN wanted to include a clause stating that Shaba was Lebanese and urging a solution. This would have been a departure from 1701, which states that the fate of the farms is to be resolved in the determination of the border between Lebanon and Syria.
On Livni’s instructions, senior Foreign Ministry officials pressured UN officials to remove the clause.
Hmmm. Strengthening Siniora, just like strengthening Abbas, is a euphemism for giving them what they want.
In all cases without exception as far as I know. The victor of all wars in human history always dictated terms of defeat to the vanquished Except Israel! In all of human kinds existence the victors always either wrote history or their version of history was the history commonly accepted. Except for Israel! International Law is for and in favor of either the superpowers or the victors. Israel is not a super power. And writing history as a victor is denied to us so Intl. law is also not afforded us as a check against our enemies in World where black is called white and white is called back. The Jewish people and by extension Israel cannot look to International bodies for redress,support, nor can we expect the same good will afforded other sovereign states. We should deny them at least partially the International platforms always used as a weapon against us by withdrawing our membership in those bodies. Remember the Lefts slogan in Vietnam war-/America declared a War and nobody showed up!
The all encompassing energy of the Jews and Israel to get a fair shake from the rest of the world is futile and these energies would be better utilized if they were turned inward. Not only should Israel State that we are Keeping forever Shabba Farms but we are prepared to fight and if need die to keep what under their Intl. Law says belongs to Us. Under Jewish Law which should be our determining factor there is no dispute or argument. Only The crazy left would ever consider relinquishing any part of the land of Israel willingly without extreme external pressure to do so.
Retreat from Shaba will not happen. Land occupied by a country in it’s defensive war, by International Law, is to be considered to be land ceded to the defensive party. Knowing the mind set of many of the liberal bent, not only do I resent their demands regarding Shaba, but I, also, say that Judea and Samaria fill the bill that it’s land belongs to Israel.