Hezbollah

A Hezbollah and Hamas Meeting

Earlier today, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah met with a Hamas delegation led by political bureau member Mohammad Naser. According to Roee Nahmias of Yediot Ahronoth:

Hezbollah Report on the IDF Presence on the Lebanese Border; The Hezbollah-Iran Relationship

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintains a large presence on the Lebanese border. This includes watch posts, fences, radar stations (both land and air) and the use of numerous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Unfortunately for Israel, Hezbollah has a very good idea of the extent and capabilities of the IDF. Ronen Bergman in today’s Yedioth Ahronoth has an important article detailing Hezbollah penetration and observation of IDF activities and presence along the border. Bergman notes:

The Taking of the Francop

At midnight on November 4^th, some 100 miles off the coast of Israel, a team of Israeli commandoes and military engineers boarded the Antiguan flagged Francop freighter. Missile boats surrounded the ship, airplanes hovered above and the Israeli army was on alert. Upon boarding the ship, the Polish captain was cooperative, enabling the Israelis to peacefully inspect the ship. Searching the vessel the commandos and engineers found a cache of 320 tons of weapons, including mortars, Katyushas, rockets and bullets.

Hamas Rocket Test; Hezbollah Arms Shipment Seized

In a series of military related events in Gaza and the Mediterranean Sea, it is apparent that Hamas and Hezbollah are stockpiling and testing weapons systems. On Tuesday, Israel’s head of military intelligence, Gen. Amos Yadlin, revealed that Hamas, under the cover of stormy weather, recently tested a rocket capable of firing 37 miles. This test means that Hamas now has the means to be able to strike Tel-Aviv and its surroundings.

Lebanon in the aftermath of the June 2009 elections: Facing the National-Unity Government Challenge

The victory of the "pro-Western" March 14 coalition in the June 2009 Lebanese elections constituted a significant political development that was welcomed by the international community as a step towards Lebanon's further democratization and consolidation of the "Cedar Revolution." However, several weeks have passed since the Saad Hariri-led coalition won at the electoral ballots, and still the newly elected majority is struggling to translate this political mandate into concrete political power.

UN Security Council Condemns Explosion in Southern Lebanon

Today, The United Nations Security Council issued a statement in response to the explosion in southern Lebanon that occurred this past week.

Shlomo Shamir in Haaretz:

An Israeli View: A fleeting opportunity

Paradoxically, the Iranian crisis is producing two contradictory results for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The first clear outcome was the statement made by head of Mossad Meir Dagan last week. In a surprise move, Dagan dismissed the previous assessments of the Israeli intelligence community regarding Iran's nuclear program and stated that Iran's secret military program would mature only in 2014.

An Israeli View: Less of a preoccupation

As a wave of ramifications and reverberations from Tehran washes across the Middle East, it is intriguing to consider how it may affect the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Precisely because we don't know when and how the unrest in Iran will end, these thoughts must be understood at this point as little more than informed speculation. Note that the protests in Iran remain within rather than against the regime itself. Hence no major change in Iran's orientation toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears likely.

Lebanon: Pol. Tensions Heighten as the Parl. Elections Approach

The tension between the two major Lebanese political blocks has been on the rise during the few weeks preceding the Parliamentary elections-scheduled to take place on June 7th. Similarly, the tone of the political debate has become progressively more confrontational, as the main political coalitions-the March 14 forces and the Hezbollah-led March 8 opposition-find themselves in sharp disagreement over key foreign policy and domestic issues.