Ceasefires and Hezbollah

Government leaders, editorial writers, and pundits are all calling for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. But nobody answers the next question: What do we do if Hezbollah really does not want peace and merely uses the ceasefire to regroup and reload?

For years people have said the key to peace in the Middle East was for Israel to trade "land for peace." But what do we do about the fact that for Hezbollah "land for peace" seems to mean not just Gaza and the West Bank, but Haifa, the Negev and Tel Aviv, too? What if Hezbollah really wants Israel gone? That is what they say. Why should we doubt them?

Those favoring a ceasefire say Israel is creating more enemies by its attacks in Lebanon. But Lebanon has an obligation to stop its territory from being used by groups to attack Israel. People talk about international law. That is international law. Lebanon says it is too weak to control Hezbollah. That may be true, but it is not an answer. If Lebanon cannot do it, and if the world community does not want Israel to do it, then who will do it?

Among those calling for a ceasefire, who is willing to do what needs to be done to police a ceasefire now and enforce the ceasefire later? Who is willing to take on Hezbollah, both now and in the future, to stop them from trying to drive Israel into the sea?

Without an answer to this question, no ceasefire will last, and no solution will be found.