On December 8 Israeli forces opened a warning fire on Lebanese security officers driving down the road along the border with Israel in a patrol vehicle.
As ordered by the Lebanese armed forces commander General Joseph Aoun, several infantry battalions have been urgently deployed to the border areas of Southern Lebanon for purposes of border fortification. The country's leadership has informed the UN and the Arab League about Israel's deleterious activity.
The same day witnessed a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated by the Israeli side. Netanyahu informed the Russian leader about the situation at the border with Lebanon and operations by the Israeli army. Vladimir Putin in his turn warned his colleague about the need to maintain stability and peace, in compliance with provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and in cooperation with the international contingent of the United Nations Armed Forces (UNAF) in Lebanon.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has also delivered an official statement, pointing to Israel's inviolable right to protect the national security of its borders and use force to suppress hostile actions against the state and the population. At the same time, the document emphasizes that military maneuvers of Israel next to the border with Lebanon are openly provocative and cannot be associated with a threat to the security of the Jewish state.
It is worth mentioning that the script of the Israeli military exercise Operation Northern Shield declares an "excessive presence of Lebanese military forces in the south represented by the Hezbollah organization". Pursuant to the requirements of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, the government of Lebanon has to ensure a total absence of any armed forces beyond the army control, including Hezbollah, south of the so-called "Blue Line" (Litani river) all the way to the state border. Lebanese authorities and the armed forces command are committed to this provision of the mentioned international instrument. So is the Hezbollah leadership.
The military and political leadership of Israel takes an intransigent attitude towards the existence and political activity of the pro-Iranian Shiite organization having a number of armed groups under its control in Lebanon. For this very reason the last 20 years saw several major military conflicts between Israel and Lebanon, the termination of which required a UN intervention.
Active involvement of the Shiite Hezbollah against the international Sunni conspiracy in favor of the Syrian government with material support from Iran and in concert with Iranian militias is the reason for Israel's considerable discontent. Its leadership interprets this as a direct threat to national security and has constantly delivered air, missile and artillery strikes targeting positions and facilities of Lebanese Shiites in the Syrian territory. On September 18th Israel carried out provocations in the airspace of Syria, which resulted in shooting down an Ilyushin 20 (Il-20) reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Air Force. The Israelis justify their actions by the need to unleash a surprise strike on Hezbollah targets. Stemming from this incident was a complete cooling of relations between the Russian President and the Israeli Prime Minister…
The governments of Russia and Lebanon take an identical position towards the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
As things stand among the upper echelons of Israeli power, another aggravation around the Jewish state serves the interests of Benjamin Netanyahu whose position is absolutely unstable. The Israeli Prime Minister is facing perhaps the toughest times of his political career and fighting off accusations of corruption schemes, unprofessionalism, abuse of office and other troubles. On top of that Netanyahu's opponents are initiating an investigation against his wife…
The Arab press reported that the Prime Minister had to dismiss Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman precisely after the incident with the Russian military aircraft over the Mediterranean sea. They also mention "hundreds of retired Israeli generals and colonels" opposing the Prime Minister's policy against Russia and Syria…
A telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin made sense for Netanyahu: it is not for the first time that he attempts to tamp down tensions and reestablish trust that once existed in the two countries' bilateral relations. Without success.
Once a traitor, always a traitor.
After all, both leaders are people who have been brought up by morality and the atmosphere of special services, which does not tolerate betrayal of national interests, existing friendship and sincere trust. The author has no idea what can be done to get back to square one.
It is perhaps essential to reconsider many previous assumptions and become more honest and truthful, wise and strong in applying political willpower. Without giving way to hang-ups about Iran and its Lebanese ally one needs to composedly seek ways to neutralize their anti-Israeli sentiments.
