"... Israel invaded the country in 1982. It sought to free the country from terror and Syrian occupation, and to support the emergence of a pro-Western democratic government committed to peace. The vacuum in Lebanon was filled by Hezbollah—the Party of Allah, in Arabic. The presence of Israeli troops in Lebanon did not create Hezbollah, no more than the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia created al Qaeda. Rather, Hezbollah sprang from the resentment of Lebanon's long-oppressed Shiite population, and the bounteous backing of Iran....
These goals—a distant dream for Lebanon today—were nearly achieved. But the massacre of Palestinians by Christian militiamen in Beirut generated international pressure on Israel to withdraw its forces. They remained in a defensive belt along the border for the next 18 years, before fully withdrawing. On May 25, 2000, the First Lebanon War, as it is now known, ended.Hezbollah ambushed an Israeli border patrol, killing 10 soldiers, two of whose bodies were held for ransom. The Israeli government under then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered an immediate counterstrike ... The long-term results of the Second Lebanon War were, in fact, diametrically different. Israeli forces succeeded in deterring Hezbollah. ... Once revered by Arabs, Nasrallah is now reviled for his support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad....The unfortunate truth is that Lebanon is no longer an independent and Western-leaning state, but a terrorist stronghold supplied by Syria and subservient to Iran.Israel does not want a third Lebanon war. Still, we must not forget the lessons of the previous conflicts.While committed to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, we cannot rely on international forces to guard the borders of a future Palestinian state. Only the Israel Defense Forces can prevent that state from becoming another Lebanon. Next, we can never afford to be complacent and assume that Hezbollah, though deterred, will remain so and not act precipitously on orders from Damascus or Tehran.Lastly and crucially, events in the Middle East may offer one last chance to liberate the Lebanese people. The Syrian regime might crumble and, with it, Iranian influence. If so, that moment should not be missed."
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