Giving up the Farm

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the U.S. would like Israel to open discussions with Syria over the Shaba farms, territory disputed by Syria and Israel which is often used as a pretext by Hezbollah for attacking Israel.

Regarding the day after the fighting, however, one component to emerge from Rice's meetings here Tuesday was a feeling among the Americans that eventually getting to a "cessation of hostilities" will entail both Israel and Lebanon - Lebanon, not Hezbollah - being able to point to some kind of victory. In this formula, Israel's victory would clearly be a roundly defeated Hezbollah pushed back from the northern border. For the Lebanese, a victory could be an Israeli withdrawal from Mount Dov, and a massive international aid package.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saniora, at a press conference yesterday in Rome, made several "demands" that must be met for a cease fire to work. Saniora demanded release of prisoners, the production of military maps and the release of "occupied territories".

Allowing Lebanon, after Saniora's demands have been made, to in any way claim victory in this war will ecncourage terror similar to that of Hezbollah in the future. The people of Lebanon must know that this war was a result of terror against Israel, based from their country. They must not profit from it in any way. Syria must profit from it in no way. There is only one way out of this war: destroying Hezbollah.

Anything short of this, anything suggesting victory for Hezbollah, the Lebanese or the Syrians, will prove another form of appeasement.