"Lebanon Is Confounded and Withers"
“The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away” (Isaiah 33:9).
Israel and Lebanon have had a complex relationship since ancient times. According to Joshua, the region of Lebanon was to be part of the promised land God gave Israel (Joshua 1:4; 13:5-6). Though the Israelites never conquered Lebanon (Judges 3:3), the nation did benefit from the rich natural resources of the region. Solomon built his palace with the magnificent cedars of Lebanon, and named the royal residence “The House of the Forest of Lebanon” (1 Kings 5:6; 7:2). Both the psalmist (Psalm 72:16; 92:12) and the prophets (Isaiah 60:13; Hosea 4:5-7) spoke of the majestic beauty of Lebanon. The modern flag of Lebanon is decorated by a large green cedar.
Lately, Lebanon has been anything but a natural paradise. Caught in the grip of internal conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and professed Christians, as well as the external interference of Syria, Iran, and Israel, Lebanon has been a battlefield for most of its recent history. In the early 1980s, the PLO used Lebanon as an outpost from which to attack Israeli civilians, leading Israel to launch a full invasion of the country. The resulting war led to the creation of a new party, Hezbollah, dedicated to driving the invading Israelis out of Lebanon. And in 2000 Israel pulled out, facing the same inability to drive out its enemies that its ancient ancestors did in biblical times.
In the last few years, Lebanon has transformed itself economically and politically. The Lebanese conducted several successful elections, and the country began to rebuild itself after years of civil war. In 2005 Lebanon’s prime minister was assassinated, with Syria as the primary suspect. This led to an outpouring of opposition to Syrian interference (what some observers called “The Cedar Revolution”), and eventually Syria pulled out all of its troops. Lebanon has been a great example of the kind of modernization and democratization sorely lacking in most of the Middle East.
But all of this progress has been destroyed by the recent Israeli bombardment. On July 12th, Hezbollah carried out raids in Israel, killing eight soldiers and kidnapping two others. This is not the first time Hezbollah has carried out this sort of attack; they have done so many other times in order to gain collateral to bargain for the lives of their own prisoners. In retaliation Israel decided to launch a major campaign of air bombardment on Lebanon, hoping to pressure the Lebanese government into stopping Hezbollah.
The results of this campaign have been devastating. Over 500 Lebanese civilians have been killed in these brutal attacks, compared to the 18 Israeli citizens and 33 Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah. Over the weekend, in the city of Qana, more than 50 Lebanese civilians were killed, mostly women and children. Sadly, it is not the first time that city suffered such loss. In 1996, during another Israeli offensive, over 100 Lebanese civilians were killed in Qana.
Israel has the right to defend itself. It has the right of “hot pursuit” of terrorists into Lebanon. But that is not what Israel is doing. The Israeli government made the strategic decision to bombard Lebanon, intentionally targeting the major airport in Beirut, electrical grids and power plants, and other infrastructure targets. Their objective is to force the government of Lebanon to stop Hezbollah, something Israel itself could not do after 18 years of occupation. These attacks have killed hundreds, wounded thousands, and displaced nearly a million innocent civilians, leaving them without shelter, power, or water. All of this in response to the death and kidnapping of 10 soldiers. By what standard of morality can this response be considered just?
There is only one country that can stop Israel’s aggression, and that is the Unites States. Instead, the President gave his tacit approval to the offensive, and the Congress voted 410-8 in favor of a resolution approving Israel’s actions. So both the President and the Congress have approved a military incursion into a sovereign, democratic nation, which has deliberately targeted civilian targets.
Ironically, Israel’s ill-conceived decision to flatten much of Lebanon has only heightened Hezbollah’s standing and popularity. Even Sunni countries which consider the militant Shiite group a threat have denounced Israel’s grossly disproportionate response to Hezbollah. And since we have supported Israel’s decision, we have given the Arab world yet one more reason to hate us.
How can we truly claim to support international law and the spread of democracy in the Middle East while approving of Israel’s actions? How can we ever expect the rest of the Middle East to take us seriously as an honest broker and peace and justice for the Palestinians? How can we not expect the rest of the Arab world not to be inflamed, placing our troops in even greater peril?
As a Christian, I am deeply concerned that my country has given its approval to such a horrendous assault on innocent life. Most of all, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of Christians who live in Lebanon, and for the negative impact this conflict will have on the opportunity for the gospel to spread.
Please pray. Pray for our leaders to seek policies which truly work toward justice and peace. Pray for any Christians who have been left homeless by the attacks. And pray for the gospel to somehow finds its way into the hearts of the people in a part of the world so roiled by hatred.
Israel and Lebanon have had a complex relationship since ancient times. According to Joshua, the region of Lebanon was to be part of the promised land God gave Israel (Joshua 1:4; 13:5-6). Though the Israelites never conquered Lebanon (Judges 3:3), the nation did benefit from the rich natural resources of the region. Solomon built his palace with the magnificent cedars of Lebanon, and named the royal residence “The House of the Forest of Lebanon” (1 Kings 5:6; 7:2). Both the psalmist (Psalm 72:16; 92:12) and the prophets (Isaiah 60:13; Hosea 4:5-7) spoke of the majestic beauty of Lebanon. The modern flag of Lebanon is decorated by a large green cedar.
Lately, Lebanon has been anything but a natural paradise. Caught in the grip of internal conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and professed Christians, as well as the external interference of Syria, Iran, and Israel, Lebanon has been a battlefield for most of its recent history. In the early 1980s, the PLO used Lebanon as an outpost from which to attack Israeli civilians, leading Israel to launch a full invasion of the country. The resulting war led to the creation of a new party, Hezbollah, dedicated to driving the invading Israelis out of Lebanon. And in 2000 Israel pulled out, facing the same inability to drive out its enemies that its ancient ancestors did in biblical times.
In the last few years, Lebanon has transformed itself economically and politically. The Lebanese conducted several successful elections, and the country began to rebuild itself after years of civil war. In 2005 Lebanon’s prime minister was assassinated, with Syria as the primary suspect. This led to an outpouring of opposition to Syrian interference (what some observers called “The Cedar Revolution”), and eventually Syria pulled out all of its troops. Lebanon has been a great example of the kind of modernization and democratization sorely lacking in most of the Middle East.
But all of this progress has been destroyed by the recent Israeli bombardment. On July 12th, Hezbollah carried out raids in Israel, killing eight soldiers and kidnapping two others. This is not the first time Hezbollah has carried out this sort of attack; they have done so many other times in order to gain collateral to bargain for the lives of their own prisoners. In retaliation Israel decided to launch a major campaign of air bombardment on Lebanon, hoping to pressure the Lebanese government into stopping Hezbollah.
The results of this campaign have been devastating. Over 500 Lebanese civilians have been killed in these brutal attacks, compared to the 18 Israeli citizens and 33 Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah. Over the weekend, in the city of Qana, more than 50 Lebanese civilians were killed, mostly women and children. Sadly, it is not the first time that city suffered such loss. In 1996, during another Israeli offensive, over 100 Lebanese civilians were killed in Qana.
Israel has the right to defend itself. It has the right of “hot pursuit” of terrorists into Lebanon. But that is not what Israel is doing. The Israeli government made the strategic decision to bombard Lebanon, intentionally targeting the major airport in Beirut, electrical grids and power plants, and other infrastructure targets. Their objective is to force the government of Lebanon to stop Hezbollah, something Israel itself could not do after 18 years of occupation. These attacks have killed hundreds, wounded thousands, and displaced nearly a million innocent civilians, leaving them without shelter, power, or water. All of this in response to the death and kidnapping of 10 soldiers. By what standard of morality can this response be considered just?
There is only one country that can stop Israel’s aggression, and that is the Unites States. Instead, the President gave his tacit approval to the offensive, and the Congress voted 410-8 in favor of a resolution approving Israel’s actions. So both the President and the Congress have approved a military incursion into a sovereign, democratic nation, which has deliberately targeted civilian targets.
Ironically, Israel’s ill-conceived decision to flatten much of Lebanon has only heightened Hezbollah’s standing and popularity. Even Sunni countries which consider the militant Shiite group a threat have denounced Israel’s grossly disproportionate response to Hezbollah. And since we have supported Israel’s decision, we have given the Arab world yet one more reason to hate us.
How can we truly claim to support international law and the spread of democracy in the Middle East while approving of Israel’s actions? How can we ever expect the rest of the Middle East to take us seriously as an honest broker and peace and justice for the Palestinians? How can we not expect the rest of the Arab world not to be inflamed, placing our troops in even greater peril?
As a Christian, I am deeply concerned that my country has given its approval to such a horrendous assault on innocent life. Most of all, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of Christians who live in Lebanon, and for the negative impact this conflict will have on the opportunity for the gospel to spread.
Please pray. Pray for our leaders to seek policies which truly work toward justice and peace. Pray for any Christians who have been left homeless by the attacks. And pray for the gospel to somehow finds its way into the hearts of the people in a part of the world so roiled by hatred.
posted by Shane at 9:49 PM
9 Comments:
Shane, I thought you believed in the "just war" hypothesis. If Israel's reaction to bombardment and invasion by part of the Lebanese government (with the approval of the rest of it, if you buy Hezbollah's statements) isn't that, what can be?
(And please don't cite "proportionate response." The proportionate response to acts of war are to remove the ability of the aggressor to commit such in the future. That includes, incidentally, removing communication and transportation ability. And sometimes civilians do die, even in a just war and especially when the enemy hides among them, hoping to spur such deaths as a propaganda tool.)
Shane,
While I cannot imagine what it must be like to live anywhere in the Middle East, I can see evil when it presents itself. Evil is at the root of all the violence in the ME.
People can argue about "just wars" if they want - the rules and situations concerning military operations have changed. Old, worn tactics and politicos looking to build a rep or win an election always seem to be behind the latest offensive (no matter which side it is).
I appreciate and agree with your comments and I share your frustration - my TV doesn't even want to be turned to those hateful news channels anymore...
I appreciate you, brother.
Mark
Hi anonymous-
One tenet of the just war position is proportionality. So if you do not believe Israel's response has been measured by that standard, as your comment seems to suggest, then what Israel has done cannot be defended by appealing to the just war viewpoint.
It is certainly a mistake to refer to a "bombardment and invasion by part of the Lebanese government." Hezbollah is a militia. There are members of Hezbollah democratically elected to the parliament of Lebanon, but the parliament of Lebanon certainly did not vote to attack Israel.
This is not a matter of necessary collateral damage. Israel intentionally targeted the infrastructure of Lebanon in order to pressure the government of Lebanon to do something to stop Hezbollah. That is not just war; that is terrorism.
Mark,
Thanks for your comments. It is evil, on all sides, and the only solution is the gospel. A simple equation that a lot of our brothers have forgotten I am afraid. Love ya man!
Shane
What's disproportionate in Israel's response? Missiles were launched, territory invaded, soldiers kidnapped. Again, the proportional response is to prevent this from happening again and get said kidnappees back. Can you think of any way to do this that does not involve actual fighting?
As I said, that includes getting rid of roads, to prevent Hezbollah from escaping or resupplying. Whenever Israel has left roads open to allow innocents to escape, Hezbollah has invariably used them to bring in supplies. Communications infrastructure? Again, disrupt the enemy. And so on.
It is a shame that Hezbollah has chosen to use some as human shields. However, the proper response is to blame Hezbollah, not to adopt the viewpoint they are trying to promote through such actions.
According to Nazrullah, he told the Lebanese leaders of his plan to abduct soldiers to trade for prisoners. They agreed to it. It's always possible he's lying, of course, but no one's bothered to contradict him yet.
I do agree the gospel is the ultimate answer. Unfortunately, pacifism as national policy only works in this world when you have strong friends willing to protect you and natural obstacles to invasion (i.e., Japan).
I do await your comparable condemnation of the Allies in WW2 for Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, though. :)
Hi again anonymous-
Thanks for your thoughts. A couple of points-
1) You asked: "What's disproportionate in Israel's response?" First, let's be clear that even Israel's supporters believe the response has been disproportionate. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Dan Gillerman, recently declared at a pro-Israel rally in New York: "Those countries who claim that we are using disproportionate force, I have only this to say: You're damn right we are." I think devastating a nations's infrastructure, killing hundreds, wounding thousands and leaving almost a million without homes, all for the lives of 10 soldiers is the definition of disproportionate. And remember, Lebanon is (or at least) a democratic nation friendly toward the US. The leader of Israel's military, Dan Halutz, vowed "to turn back the clock in Lebanon (not Hezbollah) by 20 years."
2) In the article you linked, Nazrullah says he told some political officials in Lebanon that he was going to kidnap soldiers to swap for prisoners, but later explicitly says, "It is true that I did not inform the Lebanese government, but I did not inform my closest allies either."
3) Finally, as to your comment, "I do await your comparable condemnation of the Allies in WW2 for Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki," wait no more! :-) Those were detestable acts that could not be defended by the juat war position. In fact, I use those very examples all the time to illustrate that while in principle I could fight in WW2, I could not have participated in everything that we did. By the way, many American military leaders were against using the bomb.
You may be right that I will not be able to maintain holding to the just war position with consistency. I debate it myself all the time. But if I have to some day jettison it, that will only increase my opposition to America's sanction of things like this Lebanon offensive.
Thanks again for your thoughts!
Keep it up prez!!
Bruce Shearer for Vice President!
Shane,
Well put. I have a hard time fathoming how anyone, much less a Christian, could approve of what happened in Dresden and Hiroshima. They were tragedies in their own right; it is even further tragedy that the Gospel of the Kingdom could be so grossly perverted and "interpreted" so as to support those acts.
Kevin Burt
It also strikes me as sad that Christians today are often concerned more with "what works in this world" than in obedience to Christ's Gospel.
Screw what works in this world. We do not live life by the weapons of this world. We do not function on the presupposition that our power lies in "what works in this world."
The Lord is my shepherd, not John Wayne.
I still like the Anabaptist war ethic. They take the teachings of Christ which say to "Love your enemy," and interpret that to mean, at the very minimum, "Don't kill them."
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