Why is it that American media outlets are looking to Israel as the bad guy in a dispute with Lebanon? Why is it that President Biden has seemingly taken an interest in what happens in the Eastern Mediterranean? Both of these recent developments have the same answer in common, and it would be wise for all involved to focus on their own issues, and leave the challenges Israel and its neighbors are facing to Israel and its neighbors.
"In terms of the strategic situation, we are in a good security balance. There is no other enemy capable of threatening our existence here." Those were the words of Major General Amir Baram, former commander of The IDF’s Northern Command, at his stepping down ceremony.
When it comes to Israeli security and military affairs globally in general, actual military expertise is crucial. Those who push narratives of tensions and fears of being on the brink of war are usually politicians with other agendas on their minds. The issue with narratives being pushed by politicians is the media (this site included) that uses their radical and harsh statements as money-making clickbait.
"There is another force, which is Iran, that is using Hezbollah as a front militia in the north of Israel, trying to threaten Israel.”
— Habithonistim IDSF (@HabithonistimEn) August 18, 2022
Following BG (Res) @Amir_Avivi Op-Ed in @TimesofIsrael an interview in @FoxNews on the Israel - Lebanon maritime border:https://t.co/uEcYeADtJY
I am referring of course to the recent “tensions” and “fears of war” on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. The narrative that has been widely spun all goes back to one key element that Iraq War conspiracy theorists love, black gold, also known as oil. Today, it is not exactly oil. but Israel’s recently developed natural gas industry - perhaps energy is a better word these days. As reported in The Judean, there is a continuing dispute of maritime territory that arose after Israel's Karish gas rig was created. Despite approving the territorial waters in 2018, once Karish was found Lebanon, egged on primarily by Hezbollah decided to stake claim to that gas field, stating that Israel crossed international waters and has no right to the natural gas pumped out of Karish.
Article on #CNN :
— KamalDaeem🇱🇧🇮🇷🇮🇶🇸🇾🇾🇪🇵🇸🇻🇪🇨🇺🇷🇺🇨🇳 (@DaeemKamal) August 30, 2022
Despite all the attempts of the West, especially from #USA to isolate #Hezbollah
held him responsible for the crises in #Lebanon
Despite the Israeli's history of attacking Hezbollah and its environment,
40 years later, Hezbollah has become "stronger than ever". pic.twitter.com/F7rUOZR6M0
While the international community acknowledged those borders in 2018, and any look at a map shows clearly that Karish lies in Israeli waters, calls for Israel to 'negotiate' has been echoing from the European Union to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. As a result of the claims, and the surprising calls by world leaders for Israel to cave, Hezbollah ramped up the pressure, threatening Israel with a war on numerous occasions over the Summer. Recently, they took it a step further and sent armed drones to the Karish gas rig. Needless to say, the Israel Defense Forces, with the help of the brilliant technology Israel creates, neutralized the drones by the IDF.
At this point, the Biden administration decided it was time to go louder and entered the story with a pumped-out chest and the hubris of a demented person that showed complete overconfidence in the style of diplomacy. The White House has been taking too many losses domestically and on a foreign policy level with the Iran Nuclear deal that was a signature policy element since Biden's inauguration seemingly in the toilet just two months before the midterm elections. Perhaps the Administration thought this was something that could help them gain a victory, at least with their loud anti-Israel constituents on the far-left, to offset dismal poll numbers for the Democratic party.
It is not to be forgotten that Hezbollah is virtually an Iranian army holding a Mediterranean country hostage. Successful negotiation with them could be seen as leverage in Biden’s ongoing conversations with Iran. In theory, this political, diplomatic agenda seems harmless. Israel and Lebanon will sign an agreement regarding their maritime border, Biden will boost his polling and Iran might return to the White House’s negotiation table. However, harmless, or even effective, is rarely the case for American Middle East Diplomacy and is not the case here either.
The American media quickly seized the opportunity for some catchy, clickbaity, headlines and stories like this CNN article began to be published, “Israel is making the case for war, in public, against Lebanon.” Or this Fox News one, “Iranian threats hang over Israel-Lebanon negotiations of a disputed maritime border.”
Suddenly, without the knowledge of Israeli security officials or seemingly the Major General commanding the northern borders, they are making the case for war against Lebanon and all peace is now dependent on some bizarre, politically motivated American negotiated deal.
The IDF happens to be one of the most advanced and well-polished Western militaries in the world. In fact, the leading Western militaries rely on Israel for not just technology, but situational strategy, it is why they all send their police and military chiefs to Israel to train and discuss tactics. The Israeli Mossad and other elite units are credited, by others, for the neutralization of countless top-notch terrorists worldwide. Israeli intelligence has shown the capability of knowing precisely when Iranian nuclear facilities are experiencing power outages, and have the ‘balls’ to tweet about it, sometimes seconds before the power actually goes out. European countries, like Germany, are purchasing billions in Israeli anti-ballistic missile systems and America leaned on Israel to help design their most powerful fighter jets.
Why the U.S. Is Pressuring Israel into an Agreement with Lebanon - https://t.co/xbBwovXkFm - WITH BIDEN, IS OUR COUNTRY ACTUALLY BEING RUN BY FOREIGN DESPOTISMS SUCH AS IRAN AND CHINA? Please RT
— Nina Rosenwald (@ninarosenwald) September 13, 2022
Despite all of these astonishing facts, does Joe Biden really think he can "give Israel a hand" in negotiating with a terrorist organization on our northern border? He has a hard time securing his own southern border, and could not negotiate with Mexico to help stop the flow of people coming across the Rio Grande. The head of IDF’s Intelligence corp just this week said about Hezbollah, “ I hope for Nasrallah [Hezbollah’s leader] that he does not underestimate the Israeli response if he decides to escalate.” This is a threat that 'Iran's man in Beirut' does take seriously as Israel does not mince words when it comes to these things, a lifelong politician in the winter of his days like Joe Biden says anything he needs to say at the moment, and therefore his words have no meaning.
52% of Americans want to impeach Biden - #lebanon_tennessee #united_kingdom #south_korea #philippines #costa_rica #americans #israel #canada #brazil #mexico #france #india #want https://t.co/okOoNMWcTV
— IdeallyaNews (@IdeallyaNews) September 10, 2022
Perhaps this quote from the IDF’s Chief-of-Staff is more convincing that Israel is doing fine: "The State of Lebanon and Hezbollah will bear the consequences if the sovereignty of the State of Israel is harmed…any attempt to harm the State of Israel, in any arena, will be met with a sharp response or a preemptive initiative."
Israel 🇮🇱 & Lebanon 🇱🇧 back fighting each other.
— Tom Slocum for Texas 🇺🇸 (@slocumfortexas) September 12, 2022
Who would have known??
It’s Joe Biden’s World - we’re just living in it https://t.co/tbQcoCBub1
Both of these top military experts are not expressing any worries about Hezbollah’s threats, or genuinely think the Karish gas rig is a growing security issue. The IDF’s leading generals recognize one thing that America seems to have forgotten, “we do not negotiate with terrorists!”
Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that has taken the state and people of Lebanon hostage. They are not in any form a legitimate entity that deserves the honor of being treated as equals or even legitimate representatives of a country, although the IDF is well-prepared for any scenario, the outcome of a potential war with them is crystal clear to both sides.
To CNN, no, Israel is not “making the case for war” but purely assuring its assets and civilians are safe. To Fox News, no, Iranian threats don’t seem to “hang over Israel-Lebanon negotiations.” Last but not least, to President Biden, Israel is doing just fine, please find another way to save your legacy that is falling apart each day with record low polling, as well as your party’s midterm aspirations.
