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Last update - 02:44 03/08/2008 Provocation and responsibility By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Hassan Nasrallah, Israel  Three dangerous statements, each complementing the other, were heard this past weekend in Lebanon. The new president, Michel Suleiman, who until recently served as army commander in chief, announced that the "countdown has begun to the liberation of our lands" in the Shaba Farms area. He also urged that Lebanese arms be aimed at Israel, and he celebrated the release of Samir Kuntar and others in the prisoner exchange with Israel. The new unity government in Beirut, once again headed by Fouad Siniora and with Hezbollah as a main partner, issued guidelines recognizing Hezbollah's right to use all its means to liberate lands held by Israel. The Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, Nabil Kaouk, told Britain's Daily Telegraph that his organization is ready to confront Israel and is successfully deterring it. The last statement is a mirror image of declarations issued by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli leaders pointing to the government's major achievement of the last two years: deterring Hezbollah. In both cases, their statements stem more from arrogance than facts. Since the war in the north ended, both sides have been deterred from renewing hostilities due to a complicated balance of factors. A violation of this balance by either side is possible at any moment. Advertisement The Israel Defense Forces fears that given the consummation of the Kuntar deal; the installment of Suleiman as a compromise candidate acceptable to Syria, Hezbollah, and even the United States; and the formation of a government that reflects Hezbollah's growing political strength, pressure will swell within Hezbollah to return to the kind of attacks the Shi'ite organization has eschewed since August 2006. Without active "resistance," Hezbollah has no pretext for existence. The other danger inherent in these statements is the apparent blurring of the lines of separation between Hezbollah and the government in Beirut. In a world of nation states that pretend to abide by the laws of the United Nations, there is no place for sub-state entities wishing to enjoy privileges without assuming any obligations. Every state bears ultimate responsibility for what takes place in its sovereign territory, and what emanates from it. A government's weakness does not absolve it from exercising its authority. This logic is what guided the Bush administration to topple the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which had provided a safe haven for Al-Qaida. Yet, in July 2006, that same Bush administration denied Olmert the chance to follow through on then-IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz's reasonable proposal to respond to Hezbollah's aggression by striking at Lebanese government targets, thus challenging the Siniora government to restrain Hezbollah and move forward in implementing signed agreements calling for the decommissioning of all armed militias in Lebanon. All groups abided by those agreements, with the exception of Hezbollah. Israel thus surrendered to the facade of the good Lebanon headed by Siniora alongside the bad one manipulated by Hassan Nasrallah and his patrons in Tehran. The result was a tie that was depicted as a victory for Hezbollah. Israel should only deal with one address in Lebanon: the government. Siniora's survival was of no benefit to Israel. He has made common cause with Hezbollah. Suleiman, Siniora and Nasrallah play with fire in their display of belligerent arrogance. Perhaps this can be attributed to the twilight of the Bush and Olmert administrations. Lebanon must know that these provocations are dangerous, and that it will bear the cost of an unfortunate renewal of violence. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Palin and Buchanan McCain's VP pick's ties to Pat Buchanan rankles Jewish Democrats. A foray into politics A former envoy to the U.S. says Arabs in the Galilee are a secessionist threat.   1.   Did Haaretz Sub-Contract This Editorial ? 05:02  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/08/08   2.   Did Haaretz Sub-Contract This Editorial ? 05:05  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/08/08   3.   Haaretz Finally Faces the Truth 07:52  |  massaraksh 03/08/08   4.   how many times are you told DO NOT APPEASE 09:38  |  victor hardman 03/08/08   5.   SINIORA HAS A SIMPLE POLITICAL PURPOSE IN HIS MIND 09:48  |  indrajaya 03/08/08   6.   Greedy land-hungry Lebanese 10:19  |  x-ray 03/08/08   7.   Hizballah and the Lebanese state 10:23  |  Pedro 03/08/08   8.   Did you copy this from Ynet news? 10:32  |  Rick & TC 03/08/08   9.   "belligerent arrogance" and "dangerous provocations." 10:46  |  Maureen Ann 03/08/08   10.   Lebanon knows something that haaretz doesn`t 10:57  |  Johnboy 03/08/08   11.   Israels west bank expansion is "overlooked" as a cause of strife 10:57  |  Natallie Durson 03/08/08   12.   Lebanon is Hezbollah 11:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/08/08   13.   Does Israel abide by the laws of the UN? ha. 11:04  |  American 03/08/08   14.   Israel wants the control of Lebanon. 11:12  |  American 03/08/08   15.   to #9. But this the price of Peace the Arabs should pay... 11:22  |  American 03/08/08   16.   american the un does not make laws it makes resolutions 11:37  |  victor hardman 03/08/08   17.   Is Haaretz threatening the Lebanese Government? 11:40  |  Ali 03/08/08   18.   Haaretz Hypocrisy 12:05  |  j10 03/08/08   19.   #17, Ali, just keep on your side of the border 12:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/08/08   20.   American: "Israel wants supremacy over the whole Middle East" 12:12  |  Freethinker 03/08/08   21.   No more blurred lines 12:16  |  Tzfonit 03/08/08   22.   All push the limits of what they feel they can get away with. 12:26  |  TonyL 03/08/08   23.   #19 Cipora, share the ahava 12:36  |  Ali 03/08/08   24.   Rickety editorial 12:46  |  Peter 03/08/08   25.   13 American,quite right,israel does not abide 13:05  |  lakshmi 03/08/08   26.   `American` (which usually means `Arab`) UN can`t make laws 13:08  |  x-ray 03/08/08   27.   durson"American" and other haters 13:21  |  Tarzan 03/08/08   28.   #16 #24 Law & Law 13:24  |  Ali 03/08/08   29.   JOHNBOY"Their house in order"By killing hudreds of each other? 13:27  |  PETER SM 03/08/08   30.   Ali and sub-state actors 13:55  |  Peter 03/08/08   31.   Finish the job 13:57  |  Northener 03/08/08   32.   #13 "American" 13:59  |  Yonatan 03/08/08   33.   Northener.If Hesballah becomes part of Lebanese army 14:04  |  PETER SM 03/08/08   34.   Israel to use special cluster bomb 14:05  |  Rabbi Izzy Lahm 03/08/08   35.   #25 Lakshmi 14:15  |  Moshe 03/08/08   36.   Tarzan - Israel is its own worst enemy 14:17  |  Natallie Durson 03/08/08   37.   I do believe 14:47  |  Guy From NYC 03/08/08   38.   Pedro 14:57  |  rich 03/08/08   39.   American in NYC 15:00  |  rich 03/08/08   40.   do our neighbours abide by the un ha ha 15:03  |  D.OLIVER 03/08/08   41.   Ali 15:12  |  ka 03/08/08   42.   Israel Will Fight Back 15:28  |  Yosemite 03/08/08   43.   #3 and #31 15:42  |  jdledell 03/08/08   44.   israel had friends in lebanon 15:51  |  northern neighbor 03/08/08   45.   @23 Ali 15:59  |  ka 03/08/08   46.   #29 Trying analysing what you are reading, PETER SM 16:05  |  Johnboy 03/08/08   47.   West Bank "Expansion" #36 16:05  |  Ronnie 03/08/08   48.   Do the Lebanese love their children too? 16:06  |  Jeff 03/08/08   49.   #33 Hallelleluyah!!!! PETER SM finally sees the light!!! 16:19  |  Johnboy 03/08/08   50.   Ali 17 16:20  |  sabra 03/08/08   51.   Lebanese situation is Olmert`s legacy 16:26  |  Nathaniel 03/08/08   52.   10: JB "knows" his fantasy world must be real 16:33  |  David Teich 03/08/08   53.   #11 Durson...how about those.. 16:46  |  Pastor Joseph 03/08/08   54.   Re Natallie #11 16:47  |  Esther 03/08/08   55.   Re Natallie #36 17:01  |  Esther 03/08/08   56.   Suleiman is the illegitimate president 17:10  |  Anonymous 03/08/08   57.   Natallie, worst enemy? 17:15  |  Tarzan 03/08/08   58.   arrogance unlimited...!!! 17:47  |  ravi 03/08/08   59.   Hezbollah Isn`t Located on Mars 18:06  |  massaraksh 03/08/08   60.   Hezbollah Isn`t Located on Mars 18:06  |  massaraksh 03/08/08   61.   reply to #20 18:30  |  elmo 03/08/08   62.   Michal Suleiman Crap 19:02  |  Brod 03/08/08   63.   Leb is Fatboy Nasrallah`s Bitch-Whole World knows 19:12  |  ankhfnkhonsu 03/08/08   64.   #26 x-ray cannot read 19:29  |  Labhras 03/08/08   65.