A hornet's nest

By Amr Elchoubaki

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Hizbullah's resistance operation unleashed waves of sympathy across the Arab scene. Israel, a state like no other, doesn't answer to international law and has no commitment to common moral values. It is the only country permitted to ignore UN resolutions, hold on to occupied territories, and punish innocent people at will.

Israel uses terror in peace as well as war. It refuses to recognise any Palestinian as a partner. When Hamas captured an Israeli soldier, the message was symbolic: take the Palestinians seriously. Instead, Olmert decided to pummel the Palestinians into submission.

While Israel pulverised Gaza, Hizbullah managed to kill eight Israeli soldiers and capture two. Call it a protest operation, for mostly that's what it was. It may end up costing Hizbullah dearly, for many Lebanese now feel embroiled in a desperate and costly battle.

Hizbullah is fairly insightful about regional developments. It wanted to break free of Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for its disarmament. It wanted to change the local and international scene, and reassert itself as a resistance force. That it did. It has broken, partially, the mood of defeat now common in the region. Across the Middle East, activists took to the streets. Yet slogans alone cannot do much in matters of life and death.

Lebanon cannot fight Israel alone. Few Lebanese want to risk a military confrontation. Already a chunk of Lebanon's infrastructure and tourism has been blown to smithereens. The Lebanese have no use for words of sympathy; it's as simple as that. What the Lebanese need is a serious attempt to stop the aggression. Perhaps those Arab governments who brag about their moderation and close links to Washington can make use of this leverage to make Israel stand down.

Hizbullah has kicked open a hornet's nest, no doubt. But we cannot denounce the resistance while offering no viable alternative. Our governments have had plenty of time to introduce freedoms, boost the economy, and bring us international respect. They've failed in all the above, and now they're taking it out on the resistance.

This week's Soapbox speaker is a political analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.