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World Jewish News
Lebanon analysts: Hezbollah doesn't want fight with Israel over Gaza ground operation
04.01.2009
Leading Lebanese political commentators believe Hezbollah will not open a military front with Israel on its shared border, even with a Gaza ground invasion. The commentators say that Hezbollah is not interested in a destructive round of violence months before the Lebanese elections.
Hezbollah expert Amal Saad-Ghorayeb told AFP over the weekend that she believes Hezbollah is trying not to upset the opposition in Lebanon. "On the domestic level, Hezbollah does not want to antagonize its domestic foes. They don't want to ruin the dialogue that allows them to keep the issue of their weapons indefinitely unsolved; it is a way of postponing the issue," she said.
"Hezbollah is not in a position that allows it to carry the burden of a second war," Paul Salem of the Carnegie Middle East Center told the agency.
Last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced that he had instructed his troops to up their alert level ahead of a possible military campaign with Israel.
Moreover, 10 days ago United Nations troops stationed in Lebanon found a rocket launcher aimed at Israel. Israeli army sources believe it was placed there by Jihadists who do not belong to Hezbollah. In any event, UNIFIL - the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon - has increased its routine patrols in the area.
Israeli and UN officials believe Hezbollah will try to prevent other Islamist organizations from provoking Israel into retaliatory action.
Meanwhile, Nasrallah and Hezbollah are paying a political price for their inaction. Some Lebanese media pointed out that while Nasrallah has been vocal in criticizing Egypt, he has not done anything, either.
Источник: HAARETZ.com
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