The Anti-Defamation League provides a common-sense view on the war between Israel and Hezbollah:

Israel’s goals in the conflict against Hezbollah are being received in a generally sympathetic fashion. Israel says that at the end of the conflict, Hezbollah must be severely weakened; most of its missiles dismantled; the terrorist group moved out of range of Israel’s northern border; a force, preferably that of the Lebanon government, but maybe an international force must take control of the south, and a way must be found to prevent Damascus and Teheran from resupplying Hezbollah with more and increasingly sophisticated missiles.

While most nations understand that not only Israel, but Lebanon as well, needs to achieve these goals, the gap between this understanding and what they are proposing is, in fact, a chasm. Moving Hezbollah north, implementing UN Resolution 1559, bring in another force into southern Lebanon will not happen by waving a magic wand or by Hezbollah’s consent as long as the terrorist group thinks it has options. It is only when it believes that it has none or few options because Israel’s military activities would have destroyed most of their arsenal and put in jeopardy their leadership, that there is a chance to implement these goals.

A serious approach, therefore, is to do all one can to limit civilian casualties, which Israel is trying to do despite being faced with Hezbollah placing and launching its missiles from civilian areas and to allow the Israeli military to reach that tipping point where Hezbollah will need to look at its real options.

There are no easy solutions. Getting the right force into southern Lebanon is difficult. Getting the Lebanese government to take responsibility is difficult. Finding a way to stop Syria and Iran from rearming Hezbollah is difficult.

It is not enough, however, to say it is difficult. For Israel and ultimately for Lebanon, sustainable solutions must be found. That is why the U.S. has opposed an immediate cease-fire. That is why there is a need for patience so when solutions are put into place, they will be durable. Failure to do so, a lack of seriousness which many in the international community have been demonstrating, will lead to more conflict on a higher and far more dangerous level.

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