Kramer on Israel vs. Hezbollah (Martin Kramer's Sandbox): "Why do you think this crisis is happening?
Hezbollah's hubris has created an opportunity for Israel.
Since Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah has basked in the illusion that it defeated Israel--that it somehow discovered a path to victory that had eluded Arab governments and the Palestinian movement. It began to puff itself up, as the only force willing and able to stand up to Israel. Hezbollah lost its respect for Israeli power, and began to portray Israel as unable to sustain a protracted conflict.
Nasrallah allowed a personality cult to develop around himself, and Hezbollah marketed him as the only strategic genius in the Arab world. Increasingly, it would seem that the higher echelons in Hezbollah began to believe their own propaganda.
I doubt Hezbollah expected the Israeli reaction to be as swift, extensive and destructive as it has been. Hezbollah probably believed it would score a few points in Arab public opinion by a cross-border operation, and that it would make one more incremental change in the rules of the game."
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Kramer on Israel vs. Hezbollah (Martin Kramer's Sandbox)
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2 comments:
People who have been lulled into thinking the Israeli conflicts have always been inter-religious feuding must be shocked at the Arab response.
Hezbollah made a stupid move.
And I think all this harping about a "diplomatic response" is proof positive that the proponents of this view are brain dead mouthers of C.W.
The link to the full set of interviews is also worth following.
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