By Andrew L. Jaffee

“‘We received yesterday at the Rome conference permission from the world… to continue the operation,’ Justice Minister Haim Ramon said.” So quotes the BBC on Israel’s interpretation of “the decision by diplomats not to call for a halt to its Lebanon offensive at a Middle East summit” in Rome. The Jewish state’s interpretation is correct, at least from the standpoint of U.S. support, which is the only country that really counts.

The House and Senate have passed almost unanimous resolutions supporting the Jewish state. Secretary of State Rice has ruled out a “ceasefire.” President Bush has stated categorically that, “Israel has a right to defend herself.”

Today, Israel received further confirmation of U.S. support to smash Hezbollah. From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Rice is not expected to press Olmert for a quick end to Israel’s assault, despite international pressure to limit civilian deaths and a mild rebuke to Israel issued by the United Nations Security Council on Thursday over bombing of a U.N. post in Lebanon that killed four unarmed military observers. …

“Now is the time to address the root cause of the problem, and the root cause of the problem is terrorist groups trying to stop the advance of democracy,” Bush said at the White House. “Our objective is to make sure that those who use terrorist tactics are not rewarded.” …

“Hezbollah attacked Israel. I know Hezbollah is connected to Iran,” Bush said. “Now is the time for the world to confront this danger,” Bush said. …

U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, seeking confirmation to the post he now holds temporarily, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iranians are Hezbollah’s “paymasters, and they’re calling the tune.”

He stood by estimates that Iran contributes $100 million annually to the Shiite Islamic militants, who have supplanted Lebanon’s central government as the effective political and military force in the southern region bordering Israel.

“It’s not realistic to think that you can have an effective government where there’s an armed group operating within the state functioning as if it’s its own government,” Bolton said, “controlling its own territory, using its own weapons, and functioning at the behest in many cases of foreign governments.”

Israel indeed has a green light. That means “go.” Which means an end to Hezbollah.

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Related: Israel, United States, Palestinians, Terrorist Groups

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