This is already the longest war the State of Israel ever
fought. Although it is far from the worst in terms of
casualties, it is also unprecedented in the fact that so much
of the Home Front has been under fire.
The human suffering in Israel has been tremendous. Dozens
killed, hundreds wounded, huge amounts of damages. Even when
the report says that the missiles fell on an open area and
there were no injuries and they caused no damage, that is not
fully correct. It means that no buildings were damaged, but
it does not include damage to crops and forests. Some 10,000
dunams (2,500 acres) of forests were destroyed, and there was
extensive damage to crops.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of people have been living
under a constant threat of sudden death or injury for over a
month, and have been spending their time in structures like
shelters that are cramped and oppressive. It is hoped that
the immediate nightmare is over for them, with the
implementation of a cease-fire.
Hizbullah appears to have been surprised by the strong
reaction to its provocations, though in a larger sense this
is certainly what it has been preparing for during the six
years it controlled south Lebanon.
Israel initiated the action so it cannot be said to have been
surprised by it, though in a larger sense the leadership
seems to have been unprepared for what to do after the
initial attack, and how to bring the effort to a successful
end.
The main issue that has been discussed among the pundits in
Israel is how to achieve victory -- a condition that is very
elusive when one is confronted with a shadowy militia that
has no territorial identity and that is basically a part of a
worldwide Islamic ferment that glorifies death -- its own as
much as that of its enemies.
There are various opinions about what would constitute an
Israeli victory: the elimination of Nasrallah, the occupation
of south Lebanon up to the Litani River, the forceful
cessation of Hizbullah rocket launching (as opposed to their
agreement to stop firing under a cease-fire), disarming
Hizbullah -- all these have been suggested as essential to be
able to declare victory.
On the other hand, many commentators noted that the raw fact
of Hizbullah having lasted for so long against the mighty
Israeli army is claimed by them to be victory already. Merely
surviving now and on in to the future allows Hizbullah to
trumpet its feat as a victory.
Hizbullah, and the Lebanese people of which it is a part,
certainly suffered extensive losses. Even if they are
perceived as having "won" it is not a victory that they will
want to repeat too often.
Although it is certainly more pleasant to win than to lose --
at the time -- what is certainly more important are the long-
range results.
Up until now, Israel's approach to the Arab world has been
based on ga'avah -- the clear military superiority that
it displayed on the battlefield and felt strongly in
diplomatic encounters as well. The Israeli approach has
relied on tough talk and tougher action.
Our rabbonim have stressed repeatedly that this is neither a
healthy nor a realistic attitude for a Jew in golus
like we all are, even those who gratefully live in Eretz
Yisroel. We are dependent on many other countries, and
especially the United States whose valuable support in the
recent crisis we must acknowledge.
We also mourn every drop of Jewish blood and hope that no
more will be spilled.
But we just wish to suggest that pursuing a policy based on
caution and humility may prove more successful than the basis
of unJewish ga'avah.
And most of all we wish to restate that the victory that we
seek is nothing more than the freedom to pursue our avodas
Hashem under optimal conditions. If Torah study and
mitzvah performance are strengthened and increase, that is
the true nature of victory for the Jewish people and
ultimately for the entire world.
