Hizbollah is not the problem, Israel's target is the Lebanese nation.

When there were no Lebanese soldiers on the Israeli border, only Hizbollah fighters, Israel justified its agression on the border by blaming Hizbollah.

Now the Lebanese Army is along the border, nothing has changed. Israeli soldiers have been engaging in tense standoffs with the Lebanese Army across the border.

It has been revealed that Israeli troops were ready to attack Lebanese soldiers, until the UN stepped in half an hour later, and escorted them to safety. That happened four days ago.

Two days before that, the Lebanese Army used anti-aircraft weapons against the invading Israeli jets.

Israeli jets have been invading Lebanon five times a day since last summer's war, inclear violation of the ceasefire - according to the UN.

On February 7, Israeli soldiers entered Lebanese territory at Marun al-Ras, ostensibly looking for land mines (how kind of them to look for mines in Lebanon - well, after all, they did lay four million of them from their planes during the 2006 war). Lebanese soldiers fired on them, and the Israelis fired two shells at the Lebanese.

When Israel attacked Hizbollah last summer, Israel's targets included bridges, Christian residential areas, the airport, power stations, and other locations which the UN called "civilian infrastructure". It even attacked a Lebanese Army base just outside Tripoli, even though Lebanese soldiers were not fighting against Israel.

If that was not clear enough evidence that Israel's fight was with all of Lebanon - not just Hizbollah - then this month's developments are.

Labels: Hizbollah, Israel, Lebanon