Israel’s Invasion, Syria’s War

Israel’s Invasion, Syria’s War - New York Times: "The two sides have long engaged in a conflict in southern Lebanon — albeit, since Israel’s pullout in 2000, one mostly limited to a disputed territory known as the Shebaa Farms and contained by unwritten rules. This week, however, Hezbollah transgressed three political lines.

* The first was its expansion of military operations outside the Shebaa area.
* A second line that Hezbollah crossed was its evident coordination of strategy with Hamas
* The third line crossed was domestic. By unilaterally taking Lebanon into a conflict with Israel, Hezbollah sought to stage a coup d’état against the anti-Syrian parliamentary and government majority, which opposes the militant group’s adventurism.

Proposal for the gradual collection of Hezbollah’s weapons; written guarantees by Israel that it will respect Lebanese sovereignty and pull its forces out of the contested Lebanese land in the Shebaa Farms; and the release of prisoners on both sides.

Michael Young is the opinion editor of The Daily Star in Lebanon and a contributing editor at Reason magazine.