Wait . . . what?
While I understand the concern that Israel has about stopping the flow of weapons to Hezbollah, this sentence stood out to me:
Among Israeli officials' chief fears is that Assad will pass chemical weapons or sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah - something that could change the balance of power in the region and greatly hinder Israel's ability to conduct air sorties in Lebanon. [Emphasis Added]
Why, exactly, does Israel think it has some right to conduct air sorties in Lebanon? Oh, right -- because they can.
In any other part of the world, violating another country's airspace would be considered an act of war -- or at the very least, extremely provocative. No one would blame a country whose airspace was routinely violated for trying to acquire a capability to defend its skies.
Why yes, I suppose that Lebanon being able to defend itself from the Israeli air force violating its borders at will would "change the balance of power in the region". It would be more of an actual "balance" instead of one country having such a lopsided advantage that it's in no hurry to get back to the negotiating table.
Among Israeli officials' chief fears is that Assad will pass chemical weapons or sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah - something that could change the balance of power in the region and greatly hinder Israel's ability to conduct air sorties in Lebanon. [Emphasis Added]
Why, exactly, does Israel think it has some right to conduct air sorties in Lebanon? Oh, right -- because they can.
In any other part of the world, violating another country's airspace would be considered an act of war -- or at the very least, extremely provocative. No one would blame a country whose airspace was routinely violated for trying to acquire a capability to defend its skies.
Why yes, I suppose that Lebanon being able to defend itself from the Israeli air force violating its borders at will would "change the balance of power in the region". It would be more of an actual "balance" instead of one country having such a lopsided advantage that it's in no hurry to get back to the negotiating table.