Another Round in the Never-Ending Slugfest
"'Now in Latium the state of affairs was such that they could endure neither war nor peace.' Of all unhappy states the unhappiest is that of a prince or a republic brought to the extreme where it cannot accept peace or sustain war."
- Niccolo Machiavelli quoting Livy, Discourses on Livy, II.23 (trans. by Tarcov)
Two recent developments elucidate the continuing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah/Syria/Iran. First, the Israeli military has a chink in the armor, causing considerable nervousness at home with its citizens and stiffened resolve abroad with its enemies. According to the Washington Post, the Israeli military received the first bloody nose to its reputation as one of the world's most lethal fighting forces, and that wound has stirred anxiety from Tel Aviv to Haifa to Negev. All militaries worth any salt, by nature, will examine and re-examine their structure and training, probing for weaknesses, and undoubtedly, the Israeli Defense Forces will emerge from this recent skirmish with more rigorous training and a new commitment to applying overwhelming force. To quote Ross MacKenzie of the Richmond Times Dispatch, "the rule for the Israelis is the first war we lose is the last one we fight."
Second, the latest chapter in the peace process has already ended, and the war chapter resumes. According to the Washington Post, Israeli special forces sought to prevent the resupply and rearming of Hezbollah units. The IDF interdiction force, small and stealthy, battled Hezbollah forces and apparently suffered casualties. The Israelis claim the mission proved successful.
Both of these developments reveal that Israel has now occupied the dangerous middle that Machiavelli describes above. The legend of Israel's military contributed to many of her enemies staying home and avoiding prolonged battle. Sure, punks have taken potshots at the IDF over the years, but few nations have attempted full engagement. Now, Hezbollah is emboldened by its perceived success. Likewise, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, now licks his chops for a chance at Golan Heights. Others must be saying that Israel is prime for the taking. At this moment, Israel can neither withstand more war nor can she accept the peace offered by the UN. The fact that the IDF sent a covert force to do what the Israeli Air Force had done before the cease-fire reflects a weakened resolve, possibly beholden to international pressure to stop the conflict. But then again, everyone in the world except the Bush administration and many American citizens blame Israel for this conflict.
The issue here is how force is used and to what political end is sought. Livy and Machiavelli describe that the Romans offered the Latins, engaged in open rebellion against the state , two choices: citizenship and peace or total annihilation. Reaching this point, however, required an initial committment, as ugly as it may be, to victory. Peace settled through an intermediary neither effected it nor made it last. Crippled, the rebels had no choice but to accept the honor to join the citizenry of the Roman republic, and Rome survived because she stayed out of the middle.
Many in the Israeli government will demand changes in the military because they will sense, as the Roman Senate once did, that only victory assures peace. An armed Hezbollah will not sue for peace. A broken and defeated Hezbollah will.
- Niccolo Machiavelli quoting Livy, Discourses on Livy, II.23 (trans. by Tarcov)
Two recent developments elucidate the continuing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah/Syria/Iran. First, the Israeli military has a chink in the armor, causing considerable nervousness at home with its citizens and stiffened resolve abroad with its enemies. According to the Washington Post, the Israeli military received the first bloody nose to its reputation as one of the world's most lethal fighting forces, and that wound has stirred anxiety from Tel Aviv to Haifa to Negev. All militaries worth any salt, by nature, will examine and re-examine their structure and training, probing for weaknesses, and undoubtedly, the Israeli Defense Forces will emerge from this recent skirmish with more rigorous training and a new commitment to applying overwhelming force. To quote Ross MacKenzie of the Richmond Times Dispatch, "the rule for the Israelis is the first war we lose is the last one we fight."
Second, the latest chapter in the peace process has already ended, and the war chapter resumes. According to the Washington Post, Israeli special forces sought to prevent the resupply and rearming of Hezbollah units. The IDF interdiction force, small and stealthy, battled Hezbollah forces and apparently suffered casualties. The Israelis claim the mission proved successful.
Both of these developments reveal that Israel has now occupied the dangerous middle that Machiavelli describes above. The legend of Israel's military contributed to many of her enemies staying home and avoiding prolonged battle. Sure, punks have taken potshots at the IDF over the years, but few nations have attempted full engagement. Now, Hezbollah is emboldened by its perceived success. Likewise, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, now licks his chops for a chance at Golan Heights. Others must be saying that Israel is prime for the taking. At this moment, Israel can neither withstand more war nor can she accept the peace offered by the UN. The fact that the IDF sent a covert force to do what the Israeli Air Force had done before the cease-fire reflects a weakened resolve, possibly beholden to international pressure to stop the conflict. But then again, everyone in the world except the Bush administration and many American citizens blame Israel for this conflict.
The issue here is how force is used and to what political end is sought. Livy and Machiavelli describe that the Romans offered the Latins, engaged in open rebellion against the state , two choices: citizenship and peace or total annihilation. Reaching this point, however, required an initial committment, as ugly as it may be, to victory. Peace settled through an intermediary neither effected it nor made it last. Crippled, the rebels had no choice but to accept the honor to join the citizenry of the Roman republic, and Rome survived because she stayed out of the middle.
Many in the Israeli government will demand changes in the military because they will sense, as the Roman Senate once did, that only victory assures peace. An armed Hezbollah will not sue for peace. A broken and defeated Hezbollah will.
posted by Henry Plantagenet at 10:00 AM
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