It’s a go.
Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon is now under way, with up to 40,000 IDF troops and reservists massing at the border.
The goal is to sweep Hezbollah out of the region as far as the Litani River, and perhaps even farther north, thus creating a security zone.
But the risks are enormous.
Since the outbreak of war, Hezbollah has proven a crafty and dangerous enemy, unlike any Israel has battled before. Without a doubt, hundreds, if not thousands, of Israeli soldiers may be killed or wounded in this operation. One dovish member of the Knesset called it a “deathtrap.”
Indeed, invading Lebanon is a move nobody wants but which the government has deemed necessary. As long as the Lebanese army remains powerless to disarm Hezbollah, and as long as the international community remains paralyzed, Israel will have to take drastic steps to change the status quo.
In the past, when embarking on any large-scale military action, the Israeli government had to weigh the potential benefits against the downside — e.g., negative world opinion, potential casualties among civilians and the Israel Defense Forces. This incursion is no different, except in scope.
So far, world opinion has been screechingly negative against Israel in the wake of the Lebanon bombing campaign. The Muslim world is so outraged that jihadists from as far away as the Philippines are signing up to attack Israeli targets. A ground invasion will surely ramp up the criticism and hatred to unprecedented levels.
Add to that the risk to life and limb, and Israel finds itself at a crossroads: proceed to uncertain victory or withdraw to uncertain defeat.
What choice does Israel have but to fight?
A cease-fire that permits Hezbollah to rearm, redeploy and claim victory is no solution. Relying on the United Nations or the Lebanese authorities to fix things is equally untenable. The Muslim world will press for destruction of the Jewish state no matter what.
These have been perhaps the most trying times for Israel and the world Jewish community in decades. With the casualty count climbing with its northern region shut down and with fear spreading across the country, Israel has gotten a glimpse into the “existential threats” that had heretofore seemed only theoretical.
No war goes on forever, and neither will this one. Peace, however it takes shape, will come again. We trust that Israel will make sure it’s a peace she can live with.