Who is to blame: Israel or Hezbollah?

Of course things are not as simple as a silly dichotomous blamegame, despite the rhetoric from both sides. But you're defenceless to that very propaganda unless you have some historical context to explain what went before.

George Monbiot obviously has a certain (in my view perfectly tolerable) slant usually but this decent analysis of the recent history really opened my eyes:

• The Israelis have been harassing the Lebanese in the south for years with low-flying supersonic flights over their populated territory.
• There is a history going back to 2000 of shooting, kidnapping and casualties across the border from both sides.
• Hezbollah's firing of rockets didn't start out of the blue in Jul 2006.
• Mossad (Israeli intelligence) is thought to have been involved in covert black ops in Lebanon prior to the war.
• Just as Hezbollah holds Israeli prisoners captive, Israel holds Hezbollah prisoners.

I am not trying to say the Israelis or Hezbollah are to blame. Just that there is a background to the war going back further than July 12 2006. As Monbiot says Hezbollah's actions were stupid and none of this changes that.

The claims about Israel's prior intentions to invade and distroy Hezbollah are obviously a bit bold but they're pretty well substantiated.

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