Dean Godson
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"Even the Israeli enemy never dared to do to Beirut what Hezbollah has done,” lamented Fouad Siniora, Lebanon's embattled Prime Minister, over the weekend. Yet British bien-pensant opinion - so vocal in its opposition to Israeli actions in Lebanon in 2006 - is strangely silent about the recent outrages.
Why? After all, Hezbollah is one of the world's most ruthless clerical fascist organisations - complete with ersatz Nazi salutes and Iranian-style Holocaust denial. When the legitimate, democratic Government of Lebanon dared to challenge it, Hezbollah went on a sectarian rampage, murdering scores of opponents and destroying much of the country's free media.
Yet there has been not a peep from the concerned humanitarians of the Stop the War Coalition, which boasted of putting 100,000 people on to the streets to protest against Israeli assaults. Nor has much been heard from two of Hezbollah's most high-profile and indulgent British interlocutors - the ex-MI6 officer Alastair Crooke and Michael Ancram, the former Conservative minister.
Mr Ancram urges that we “dance with wolves” such as Hezbollah to obtain peace. “It is suddenly possible to explore Hezbollah claims to be an essentially Lebanese resistance movement with no current aggressive cross-border intentions towards Israel,” he opines. Indeed so: right now its aggressive intentions are inwardly directed, towards its fellow countrymen.
Hezbollah and its allies - which command only 30 per cent of the Lebanese vote - seeks to make good its democratic deficit at the polls through the use of force. The group boasts a vast arsenal. But Messrs Ancram and Crooke don't want Hezbollah to be pressured to abandon this swiftly, as required by UN Security Council Resolution 1559.
The other great myth about Hezbollah - peddled by too many of its Western apologists - is that it is an entirely indigenous “resistance” movement: if so, why have pictures gone up of the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, and the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, for the first time in Beirut since the Cedar Revolution of 2005? And, given the violent oppression of Sunnis by Hezbollah, why has so little been heard from the Muslim Council of Britain and the British Muslim Initiative, two predominantly Sunni organisations? Don't Lebanese Sunnis deserve a little solidarity from their brethren?
So why does Hezbollah's putsch of 2008 not excite stern criticism - as did Israel's invasion of 2006? It's simple: many “progressives” hate Israeli and Western policy far more than they love Lebanon.
Dean Godson is research director of the Policy Exchange think-tank
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Let us all consider this - If the rockets stop, peace with two states will follow. Those who traffic in terror want no peace in the region because they don't want an Israel. Arming hezbolla is Iran's investment in terror. Keeping Arab refugees in camps for 60 years is an effort to grow terrorists
H.Luterman, Delray, USA
To the Washington DC man who wants to ban all religion. The communists tried to ban religion and they killed over thirty million people in that failed effort. So while religion has led to much violence, the bloodshed caused by religion pales in comparison to the mass murders caused by atheism.
Juan Rodriguez-Gris, Alabama, USA
I agree with most of what dean has to say. Except they are getting criticized, but in different ways. Their enemies "isralies" control most of the western media. Now why would israel promote media critisizims when their enemies are destroying themselves.Instead get the rest of the world to hate them
Bob, toronto, canada
Dean Godson's article is as ludicrous as the statement by Siniora. He must have forgotten the wanton destruction that the Israelis visited on Beirut during their 1982 invasion not to mention what they did more recently in 2006. Looks like the Israeli apologists are resorting to desperate arguments..
Louay Jabry, Montreal, Canada
Albert Einstein said of all religion, "It is a childish supersition" and it seems that Hezbollah is a good example why all religion should be banned once and for all, as all have their hands bloodied for political and financial gains. The human race must join together and stop this!
Thomas Albert, Washingtion DC, USA
I think Dean has gotten a big loss of touch with reality. In Lebanon they divided power between sects to represent a fake power sharing. There is a lot of misconception about election there. The Majority in Lebanon are Shi'ites. they should rule. They wont do that as long as you wont corner them.
Roy Kobesky, Toronto, Canada
Whats funny is that the Media and governments that Control them Tried so hard to connect Al-Qaida and Hezbollah and failed to do so, Now they are using the Holocaust and the Nazi Salute to show how "evil" Hezbollah is. Hezbollah provides healthcare and protection for lebanon, what has the Gov. done
Abe, MIchigan, USA
Lebanon's problem isn't Hezbollah. Lebanon's problem is its people. They are more loyal to their religion than they are to their country. Politicians in Lebanon, as well as external forces (such as Iran, Israel, Syria, the UK and the US) exploit that weakness to further their personal agendas.
Alexandre, Dubai, UAE
I see the Western Media critisizcing Hezbollah for gettin support from Iran and Syria. What about Support for the Seniora government ( a puppet regime at best ) being supported by Egypt, Saudia Arabia and their masters the US and Europe?. 2 wrongs a RIGTH does not make.
Yaqoot Mit, Toronto, ON
Only stupid people will say Israel is an occupier when they've been threatened & attacked since its existence. Are they expected to only repel attacks & let its people suffer the fallout? Good defence is keeping potential threats away from home. Peace is only possible if muslims renounce violence.
John Edwards, Houston , USA
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