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Hizbullah Has Taken Lebanon into a Risky Conflict with Israel
(The National-UAE) Michael Young - Lebanon's former president Michel Aoun has been openly critical of Hizbullah's decision to intervene on Hamas' side in the Gaza conflict. Aoun declared: "We are not linked to Gaza through a defense treaty....A part of the Lebanese population has made a choice [not to enter the war]....Saying that participation in the war is to pre-empt an Israeli attack is merely an opinion. Entering into a confrontation may not reduce the danger, but increase it." Aoun was making a larger point. Hizbullah has effectively hijacked the state's prerogative to declare war, and it has taken Lebanon into a risky conflict with Israel that could, if things go wrong, lead to the country's destruction. Most Lebanese, including many within the Shiite community, don't want a war with Israel. Lebanon suffered greatly in the past, and while many Lebanese sympathize with the people of Gaza, they do not want to see their country again pay a price for such solidarity. The writer is senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.