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Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-israel17jul17,0,4265648.story
Response and Responsibility
[Los Angeles Times] Editorial - Make no mistake about it: Responsibility for the escalating carnage in Lebanon and northern Israel lies with one side, and one side only. And that is Hizballah, the Islamist militant party, along with its Syrian and Iranian backers. Ever since Israel unilaterally withdrew troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 and from Gaza last year, radical Islamists have stepped up their war on the Israeli state. Both Hamas and Hizballah, which have a pact to collaborate in attacking Israel, are backed by the Iranian government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who himself has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." This latest conflagration in the Middle East presents a challenge for nations such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, which have long paid lip service to the desirability of moderation in the region. These nations, and the international community, should be prepared to place blame for this crisis where it belongs: on Hizballah, Hamas, and their state sponsors.