Israel’s current campaign to crush Hezbollah in Lebanon is certainly understandable, but is not crucial when it comes to Israel’s national security and the security of the entire region.
I am not trying to disparage Israel’s efforts to send a strong message to its enemies, but the fact remains that it is Iran, not Hezbollah, that poses the real threat to Israel’s existence on this planet. Everyone knows that Iran is quickly developing a nuclear program, which can always be tinkered with to create nuclear weapons. That fact coupled with Iran’s hatred for Israel makes for a very serious threat to Israel’s existence.
However, the problem is that the longer Israel engages in this Lebanon offensive the more they are taking the spotlight off of Iran, allowing them to complete their own Manhattan Project undisturbed. Even if Israel wipes Hezbollah from the earth, quite unlikely, I can picture a few angry Lebanese citizens willing to step in and fill that terrorist vaccum.
As difficult as it is, Israel must step back from its current offensive to address the more serious concern of Iran. Israel must understand that terrorist groups such as Hezbollah are plentiful in the Middle East, but nuclear weapons aren’t . yet.
Patrick Molnar
Business administration sophomore