In 2022, Israel and Lebanon, including Hezbollah as a governing party, agreed their maritime border while granting Israel full rights to the Karis gas field and some to the Qana, with most of the latter's going to Lebanon. Many in Israel have never liked that deal, but tearing it up would make Israel look like a bad business partner. Here we are.
For all the many faults of Hezbollah, it fought, and it continues to fight, against al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State. Hamas also executed IS in Gaza, when Israel was providing IS with the Golan Heights field hospital towards which Priti Patel attempted to divert British aid money, causing Theresa May to sack her.
Recalling the IS despoilment of Palmyra, and the Taliban's demolition of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, Israel's aerial bombardment of Baalbek has two possible meanings. Either Lebanon beyond the Litani is to be a Saudi puppet, run on Wahhabi lines. Or all idols in Lebanon must be destroyed, since all of it is part of the Land of Israel. As well as the bombing of churches in Gaza, that principle is already being used by governing parties in Israel to burn down churches there and on the West Bank, since the profession of the Divinity of Christ is considered idolatrous in itself. That is bad enough there. Imagine it in Lebanon.
I did love your tweet about Zoe Strimpel.
ReplyDelete"Late of Elle and of the Sunday Times Style magazine, in 2018 Zoe Strimpel appeared in the HBO documentary Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, to discuss online dating apps. Being sacked from the Telegraph is the proudest achievement of my life."
DeleteFollow @david_lindsay77.