Israeli PM has accepted cease-fire deal

Israel & Palestine Forum

Israeli PM has accepted cease-fire deal

By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has accepted an emerging Mideast cease-fire deal and informed the United States of his decision, Israeli officials said Friday.

Olmert will recommend that his government approve the deal in its meeting on Sunday, said Gideon Meir, a senior official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Meir said the military offensive in Lebanon would continue for the time being. It was not immediately clear if it would be halted after the U.N. Security Council vote on the cease-fire deal later Friday, or only after the Israeli Cabinet has endorsed it.

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-HECK!

Has Hezbollah accepted the deal and agreed to disarm?

From a lebanese news and forum site. Not sure of its authenticity

Hezbollah Surprised By Their Own Attack
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah revealed that he did not know of this morning's attack prior to its occurrence. According to a mid-level Hezbollah party member, the Hezbollah leadership was not expecting the attack to come right now, not expecting such a harsh Israeli response, and is currently scrambling to come to a plan.

In January, the party leadership decided that they would capture Israeli soldiers in exchange for Lebanese prisoners. They would attack at the earliest possible time, and today happened to be that day. The Hezbollah leadership was entirely caught off guard.

Hezbollah was the most powerful force in the National Dialogue, which has been going on for the past few months. Hezbollah was dominating sessions on defining Lebanon's defense policy, and the party was getting everything it wanted.

Hezbollah's leadership knew they could maintain their power over other Lebanese political factions, but knew they had a small range in which to operate because, outside of the Shia community, Hezbollah has little to no support. The Sunni community in Lebanon is becoming radicalized against, not only Hezbollah, but Shia in general. The Sunni Interior Minister recently legalized the radical Sunni Islamist group Hezb at-Tahrir.

There is no way that other Lebanese communities will now let Hezbollah act on their own.

Israeli Response

Hezbollah was surprised by Israel's response.

When they dreamed up this plan in January, they thought the Israelis would respond as usual: bomb a few Hezbollah positions on the border, and perhaps attack Palestinian militant camps. They were not expecting the attack to occur at this fragile time with the Palestinians.

Instead, the Israelis massively destroyed Lebanese infrastructure. Bridges throughout South Lebanon have been destroyed. Almost the entire South is without power.

The Sunni Surprise

Even more surprising for Hezbollah was the Sunni response to the bombing of both the old and new roads at Damour. The Sunni in Saida explained this Israeli aggression away noting that the Israelis were trying to block Palestinian militants at Naameh from going on the attack.

According to three Sunni shop owners in Beirut from Saida, they and their families are more upset with Hezbollah than they are with Israel. In fact, they understand the Israeli position.





Lebanese Pride said...
I could care less about hezbollah and the other PRO syrian rats, I ONLY care about a FREE Lebanon. I also could care less about Israel but hope they wipe hezbollah off the map, since hezbollah thinks they can do what they want in Lebanon and have a state within a state and all that bull ****. I hope Israel DESTROYS DESTROT Syria. hezbollah and other pro syrian rats should get out of the country and go back to there "real" home syria where they are dogs just ALL the syrians.

GOD BLESS AN ANTI SYRIAN LEBANON!



Northern Israeli said...
From here (Haifa, Israel), it seems there is an unusually wide consensus for a tough attack: on HA, on Lebanon and on Syria. I think, though, that there is a bit more controversy about bombing too much of Beirut- people here watch in TV how many Lebanese are against HA and it does affect them. The problem is that the common thought is that the people and government of Lebanon are weak. It's not only about revenge of 8 soldiers killed - people want the kidnapped soldiers. And they are affraid being viewed as weak.
As you know, the people here influence everything the Israeli government does. If somebody ("Jamal", for instance) thinks people are affraid of the rockets- he's wrong. We've all had things alot worse than those lousy rockets- and I know they can kill, even me, but I also know I could have got killed in Maxim restaurant by a terrorist funded by syria, etc.
Just like you have tourism, we have, and especially on the Lebanese border (interior tourism). But unlike you, we are not as dependant on it. When there is fighting in Lebanon, people in TLV and Haifa continue their lives. It is not the same about Beirut. I know that it's not the majority's fault, but sometimes there's just no choise.
Anyway, I hope you personally won't get affected and that innocent peopl won't get killed.

greetings



overandout said...
How can the government condemn Hizbullah's acts? Can it really afford turning against a considerable faction of the population right now? Hizb just got us in a vicious circle of support/no support and Israel who has everything to win from its strategy will just blame the government, although the latter is known to be powerless.


Gab said...
Well there goes the airport, now if you thought the average Lebanese was pissed at Hizballah, now they have thousands of foreigners pissed.


Fares said...
My emotional take on the events in Lebanon

sorry kind of long, read 3rd section if you want quick.
only people with hearts and brains can read, no need for hyprocrites.
Appreciate your feedback.

also a short anry message, All Lebanon will celebrate Nasrallah death and not just few idiots who celebrated earlier in south Beirut



David said...
Please forgive my ignorance of the Lebanon, but some questions that outsiders are asking is whether these actions are going to restart the Lebanese civil war or whether Syria and Israel will fight each other on Lebanese territory? Would anyone care to venture an opinion...


Anonymous said...
I don't think Israel will be able to destroy Hezbollah (that would require occupation again) but they can damage them, hopefully enough for the Lebanese people to chase Hezbollah out and finish the Cedar Revolution.



Those are a few things said - i can't link it since its a news site but also has a forum in it. called the lebanese political.
Was just posting info from somewhere else is all.

i find it funny how the leader of hizb'allah claims he didn't know about it

LMAO
retarded palestinians

Palestinian gunmen dressed in police uniforms on Friday broke into a prison in the West Bank city of Jericho and shot dead six Palestinian inmates, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency in the area. Israel killed three Palestinian militia in the southern Gaza Strip Friday, as troops conducted house-to-house searches in the city of Rafah.


they broke into the jail to kill their own people - what a loving bunch. And everyone wonders why so many don't like them....

interesting - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations
Sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers. Numerous peacekeepers from several nations have been repatriated from UN peacekeeping operations for sexually abusing and exploiting girls as young as 8 in a number of different peacekeeping missions. This abuse has become widespread and ongoing despite many revelations and probes by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services. [23][24] A 2005 internal UN investigation found that sexual exploitation and abuse has been reported in at least five countries where UN peacekeepers have been deployed, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, and Liberia; in particular, "Liberian girls as young as 8 are being sexually exploited by United Nations peacekeepers, aid workers and teachers in return for food, small favours and even rides in trucks, according to a report from Save the Children U.K." [25] The BBC carried a similar report, and also cited a member of the World Food Programme as an offender

Check this out - disarm was supposed to happen in 2004

Security Council declares support for free, fair presidential election

in Lebanon; calls for withdrawal of foreign forces there


Resolution 1559 (2004) Adopted by Vote

Of 9 in Favour, to None Against, with 6 Abstentions



The Security Council this evening declared its support for a free and fair presidential election in Lebanon conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence and, in that connection, called upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon.



By a vote of 9 in favour (Angola, Benin, Chile, France, Germany, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, United States) to none against, with 6 abstentions (Algeria, Brazil, China, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation), the Council adopted resolution 1559 (2004), reaffirming its call for the strict respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout the country.



In a related provision, the Council called for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. It also called upon all parties concerned to cooperate fully and urgently with the Council for the full implementation of all its resolutions concerning the restoration in Lebanon of territorial integrity, full sovereignty and political independence.


Resolution



The text of resolution 1559 (2004) reads as follows:



“The Security Council,



“Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978, resolution 520 (1982) of 17 September 1982, and resolution 1553 (2004) of 29 July 2004 as well as the statements of its President on the situation in Lebanon, in particular the statement of 18 June 2000 (S/PRST/2000/21),



“Reiterating its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally territorially recognized borders,



“Noting the determination of Lebanon to ensure the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon,



“Gravely concerned at the continued presence of armed militias in Lebanon, which prevent the Lebanese government from exercising its full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory,



“Reaffirming the importance of the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory,



“Mindful of the upcoming Lebanese presidential elections and underlining the importance of free and fair elections according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence,



“1. Reaffirms its call for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon;



“2. Calls upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon;



“3. Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias;



“4. Supports the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory;



“5. Declares its support for a free and fair electoral process in Lebanon’s upcoming presidential election conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence;



“6. Calls upon all parties concerned to cooperate fully and urgently with the Security Council for the full implementation of this and all relevant resolutions concerning the restoration of the territorial integrity, full sovereignty, and political independence of Lebanon;



“7. Requests that the Secretary-General report to the Security Council within thirty days on the implementation by the parties of this resolution and decides to remain actively seized of this matter.”


hmmmm.
the Hizb'allah didn't disarm then - why now?

Yes i read what started this, and why it was passed.

its not hypocritical. you need to look the definition up. hypocritical would be if i said i supported pali and everything i did or said was unsupportive. i never supported them. and i never will.

Every country makes mistakes - but the fact still remains that nearly every time Isreal started pulling troups out of west bank the palis attacked them so they sent soldiers back in.
well, if i was a country trying to pull out of an area, and was attacked through acts of cowardism i would go back in wreck havoc as well- i wouldn't keep moving out like i was running away. that's just ignoramic.

I think a lot of people are ignboring the fact that if you look at it Israel has lost this battle.

Hizbollah ahve not been destroyed but if you could not do it in 25 years what the hell did Israel think it could do in 5 weeks?

Hizbollah support has no doubt swelled and membership will have gone up.

Possibly Hizbollah will gain more seats in the Lebanese parliment elections on the back of this.

Syria and Iran have not been weakend

Israel has seen even more anger from the Arab world toward's it

These two soldiers have not bee released

The only way to get these soldiers back would appear to be with a new resolution that would require a swap of some sort something which Israel said it would never do at the start of this conflict.

It will cost Israel millions in rebuilding and war widows pensions and benefits to maimed soldiers etc. Lebanon will most liley recive international assistance but Hizbollah has not spent a penny in this conflict.

Also more international countries are asking about the way Israel fights it's battles and questions wethere the attacks are proportionate to the crimes being commited.

In fact the only thing Israel can take out of this is that the military works and they have a internatinal peacekeeping force in Lebanon but the last UN force failed to stop Hizbollah, the Lebanese failed to stop Hizbollah and they failed to stop Hizbollah so what chance do the Turks, French and maybe Spanish have?

"Moreover, it is not hypocritical to blame one side and not the other if you believe the side you blame is at fault and the other is not." That is a self-serving circular argument. Basically, you feel that Israel can break the rules of the cease fire since you believe they are 'right'? It's evident you feel they have done no wrong so why debate the subject?

-HECK!

Or put it another way: if a vigilante was running round breaking the necks of shoplifters and someone announced that maybe the vigilante was - behaving badly - the vigilante would, using Bush's warped logic, accuse the person of being a supporter of shoplifting, and was most likely a shoplifter themselves (therefore deserving of having their necks broken too).

It's a misleading strawman argument because the person who accussed the vigilante wasn't even talking about shoplifting. But it worked for Bush for a good few years, got him back into power, instilled fear into critics and the public in the US. Bush and his cronies are cynical bastards.

israel/us created cease fire deal now through conservative media isreal has to create image of being the victim.

Its all up to lebanon from here,
- if they move hizb'allah away from the border, which they refused to do last time
it may work longer then just 3 months.

There are many in lebanon who wish for hizb'allah to go away, but i doubt that will happen and hizb'allah will eventually cause more war.

The next thing to happen will be the 15,000-man peace keeping force moving into south Lebanon. If I were Hezbollah, I would be working hard to come up with a way to provoke a shooting match between the peace keeping force and Israel. It shouldn't be too hard because much of the peacekeeping force will already have decided that Israel is the bully. Maybe Hezbollah can get France to wipe out Israel.

[QUOTE]Dreamzwalker said this in post #42 :
[B]Its all up to lebanon from here,
- if they move hizb'allah away from the border, which they refused to do last time


No Lebanon could not move them away the last time that is why they need an international force to assist them. There is a big diffrence between cna't and won't.

Also Israel could not do it in 25 years or constant bombardment for 4 weeks so what chace do you think Lebanon has with a backward army.

Does anyone seriously think Hezbollah are going to disarm, either voluntarily or forced? Which countries are going to face the chance of starting a war with them? I heard this war has meant that Hezbollah are going to get a lot more seats in the Lebanon parliament.

That would not surprise me. We should remeber who the first group was to give Lebanese people food, water, shelter, medicine and money. There is no doubt that Hizbollah will use that in any election I think they only need about 12 more seats to be come the majority party.

I just heard on the news that France has reneged on their commitment to send peace-keeper troops to Lebanon in the numbers they had promised, and will only send 200 troops. The news did not say why the change of mind.

Beautiful work UN, Rice, Bush, and FRANCE.

The cost of making the architects of this phony-baloney, plastic-banana ceasefire feel good about themselves is probably going to result in more deaths than if they had not interfered.

Well the thing is politicians can promise X number of troops but then the defence ministry could say they don't have enough either due to other commitments like the French troops in the Balkans, Africa and Afghanistan. There is also the number of trained troops because peace keeping requires special training, logistical issues, financial issues and of course political issues as dead troops is not exaclty a vote winner also some ountries just can't work with each other I don't think that is the case but it does happen.

The problem is getting soldiers into Lebanon is difficult, the US needs to keep out, the UK can only offer intel and a temporary base and hspital in Cyprus, Germanys military is being overhauled and due to histroy the German public don't like to see thier tropps going into what is probably going to be a battle. Turkey has offered a few thousand trrops but everyone else is being very quiet on what they can and can't offer.

As for you saying this ceasefire will result in more deaths well I don't think that is the case there have been no deaths since the ceasefire there has been no sabre rattling and the Lebanese peopel have gone home. Also you tend to find that peace keeping forces reduce deaths.

lodgebo,
The difficulties in providing peacekeepers that you describe may be true, but it sounds like an awful lot of backpeddling now that Israel has complied with the terms of the agreement. I never heard a peep of such uncertainty about being able to provide peacekeepers when the ceasefire was being proposed.

As far as the ceasefire causing more deaths than what would have ocurred otherwise, I realize that it is holding at the moment. But it does nothing to solve the underlying problem. Moreover, it holds Israel back, giving Hezbollah a chance to re-arm.

Yes it will be interesting to see what develops with the ceasefire and peacekeepers. Somehow, I can see Israel ending up in a war with France.

I can also see Iran launching a Pear Harbor-like attack on Israel soon. I heard something about an Iranian missile test this morning, but I did not get the details or the implications.

[QUOTE]EUCLID said this in post #54 :
[B]Yes it will be interesting to see what develops with the ceasefire and peacekeepers. Somehow, I can see Israel ending up in a war with France.

Nah I can't see France or any peacekeepers in a war with Israel. Obviously if Israel tried to get involved the peacekeepers would ( and rightly in my view) have the right to defend themselves. Mind you it would be intresting if Israel got involved and the French retaliated and a war broke out. You see it would put the US under pressure because France could call for NATO help and get it. So would the US stick to it's NATO promise or it's Isrealli friendship?

i could see the leader of iran suicide bombing himself with a nuke