In my news and commentary I began with references to the appearances of Trump and Boris Johnson at the G7 and the invitation by Macron of Iran foreign minister Zarif to Biarritz. From there I shifted to Israelâs attacks on pro-Iranian forces in Iraq and Syria, on Hezbollah in Beirut and the threat of attacking Houthis on Saudi Arabiaâs behalf in Yemen.
I provide some background on the origins of Hezbollah and Israelâs conflict with it as well as the Zionist eagerness to have Southern Lebanon, up to and including the Litani River be part of the Jewish Home approved by the League of Nations after WW 1., citing Lebanese president Aounâs statement to me in 2007 that without Hezbollah, Israel would overrun Lebanon.
I go on to describe the preoccupation of the Israeli military and media with Hezbollah since it is still unnerved that Hez has twice humiliated it, the first having forced Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 after 18 years of occupation, and in 2006, after stopping the IDF from advancing on the ground, leading to the resignation of the IDF Chief of Staff.
I follow that with comments about what I saw in Lebanon the year after Israelâs 1982 invasion of Lebanon and in 2007, following the 2006 three week war.
I quote several passages from an article by Seth Frantzman, the Jerusalem Postâs military analyst, comparing his unconscious dehumanization of Hezbollah in describing Israelâs drone attacks in Beirut with what it would have been if the attacks had been on Israelis.
I conclude with comments about the failure of the US to take possession of the Iranian tanker that had been seized by British marines off Gibraltar, that a Gibraltar judge had said no to Washington, allowing the ship to sail and now, I announced the ship had been sold to an unnamed buyer.