Israel May Not Be Fighting Fast Enough

Israpundit worries that the Israeli response to Hezbollah has not been robust enough, and that the IDF would best serve Israel to fight much harder than they have. From the safety of Chicago, I would only observe that Israeli soldiers have been suite shocked at the extent of Hezbollah's defenses, and that it was probably wise of the Israeli high command to proceed slowly. At first, the Israeli response to specific rocket launches was light, but as they learned how Hezbollah operated, the strikes against rocket launches became more effective and extensive. The same logic may be at work on the ground.

The worry shouldn't be that the Israeli army does not have the will to be deadly, but rather that it will not have the time. Diplomatic efforts to impose a cease fire proceed apace. The danger is now a cease fire that merely offers Hezbollah a respite. There is, at the moment, little chance of that happening, but powers large and small, including the U.S., are playing games that are larger than Israel, so that may change quickly. Israel has already accepted the idea of non-UN peacekeeping forces on its northern border, and thus have already acceded to one component of a cease fire.

For now, the fighting continues. Israel troops are now battling Hezbollah in the town of Bint Jabel. Let's hope they're quick about it.

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