(Jerusalem Post) Ken Satloff - Israel should have no illusions that the rise of the opposition in Lebanon, and even the possible departure of Syrian troops, will lead to warmer relations between Jerusalem and Beirut, Hizballah officials have warned. Hizballah sources also made plain that the organization would resist any effort to force it to disarm. "There is no way that Hizballah will just dissolve into thin air after the Syrians pull out," said a Beirut analyst. With 12 of the 128 seats in parliament, "Hizballah today is also one of the most well-organized parties in Lebanon." Israeli commentators said that even if Lebanon were to become independent, there was no guarantee it would rush into a peace deal. Lebanese opposition leader Walid Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera he preferred a truce with Israel rather than a peace treaty: "Peace with Israel harms Lebanon. We don't want that."
2005-03-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive