Israel’s helpful Arab and Muslim “allies” have come up with a brilliant plan, and a warning: Take it, or you’ll be facing a second front.
Turkey and Egypt plan to warn Israel that if a ground operation is launched in the Gaza Strip, Hizbullah might open another front in south Lebanon, Turkish sources told al-Hayat newspaper.
The report, published on Tuesday, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit visited Ankara on Monday and presented his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan with a document detailing a four-point plan aimed at restoring order and ending the Israeli operation in Gaza.
The plan includes a ceasefire, the opening of Gaza crossings the removal of the blockade on the Strip, and the creation of regional and international guarantees that will keep the crossings open and the agreement honored.
So they’re going to urge Israel to give Hamas exactly what it wants. Yeah, that’s exactly why Israel is currently bombing targets in Gaza. So they can surrender to Hamas.
And Egypt, ever the hypocrite, refuses to let Palestinians out of Gaza into Egypt.
Sounds to me like Egypt and Turkey are brandishing a load of bull at Israel. Iran controls Hizbullah’s reaction, and it looks like Iran is keeping Lebanon in check for a future strike on Israel. If Hezbullah were to open a second front, you’d think they’d have done it by now.
Despite reports of a possible attack from the north, recent speeches by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah indicate he is not headed for war with Israel.
Since Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead in Gaza on Saturday, Nasrallah spoke out mainly against Egypt and almost completely avoided mentioning Israel.
It seems the Hizbullah leader will settle for mass rallies in support of Gaza and against Israel and the US, and a PR campaign against Egypt.
I suspect Egypt and Turkey will be given their walking papers over this proposal.
Hizbullah does what iran tells them to, so we can reasonably conclude that Iran does not want them to open a second front. Why might that be?
Maybe economic? Given that the price of oil has dropped, leaving Iran with less income, perhaps Hamas is about to get a pink slip from Iran…or Iran is concentrating all her support to Hamas at the moment, and Hizbullah has been told to wait?
Thoughts?
Hezbollah will strike when Iran orders it to, as you say. Iran will give that order when Iran is threatened. Hamas is a small client whose interests are expendable as far as Iran’s Mullahs are concerned. Hezbollah is still being kept in reserve, perhaps against a US strike on Iran, perhaps for a strike on Israel if the latter seems to be faltering against Hamas, perhaps for some other future need.