According to AP:
Israel’s assault on Lebanon threatens to weaken Arab moderates throughout the region, bolstering the image of Islamic militants….
Before implying that any Mideast meltdown is Israel’s fault, AP should consider the fact that regional Arab moderates have themselves to blame for being weakened by the latest violence. To wit:
In the PA, Mahmoud Abbas allowed Hamas to participate in Palestinian elections rather than dismantle their terror infrastructure. And in Lebanon, few politicians have the courage to speak up against Syrian (and now Iranian) domination of their country. That nobody had the will to disarm Hezbollah, as required by UN Security Council Resolution 1559.
A staff-ed in The Australian took an opposite approach, saying that Lebanon should thank Israel for moving against Hezbollah:
Moreover, Israel is doing Lebanon a favour by containing Hezbollah, a parasitic organisation that has outstayed its welcome in the new but fragile democracy that is Lebanon. Better late than never, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora says there can be no sovereign Lebanese state without disarming Hezbollah. Sadly, the Lebanese Government has been unwilling to take the hard steps necessary to achieve this end.
