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We failed, we had no solid wall for them

2020-05-10T20:45:11.046Z


Maj. Gen. (Res.) Gershon HaCohen


The strategic damage caused by the SLA's abandonment with the withdrawal from Lebanon will be difficult for the State of Israel to repair for another generation. . A well-known Arabic proverb says: "Nahana Ma'a al-Hitt al-Waqf," which means: We are with the wall standing firm. The proverb expresses a constitutive code for the dynamics of forming alliances and their loyalty. This is a warning sign, especially for minority groups, which prompts them to call allies who deserve to be seen as a firm supporter. With existential anxiety, the proverb also suggests re-examining every day whether the Alliance continues to be firm.

In abandoning the SLA, the State of Israel announced that it does not offer a solid and stable armrest. Sajur councilor Jabbar Hamad said: "We cannot be made into a SLA case." The message has since resonated as a cautionary note to every person in the region considering his cooperation with Israel. 

The Israeli concept of security has not developed a doctrinal conceptual framework for the operation of militant allies in fighting beyond its borders. In addition to recognized legal boundaries in international law, countries have a critical interest in defense. England, for example, argued after World War II that its strategic border for protection was the Rhine. SLA had a legitimate role in this respect Israel's northern border. Such activation pattern using proxies (proxy) is ancient, and was a significant factor in the ability of Byzantium to survive for centuries after the fall of Rome.

Constraints of the new war, which developed in the 21st century, enabling Such forces have become most widespread, and are systematically exercised by the Russians in Ukraine, Syria and Libya, and also by the Americans. 

The IDF, as a militant organization based on the local people, had a basic legitimacy for its operations in the area, no less than Hezbollah did. It is the nature of this kind of strategic alliance that is formed on a meeting of interests. The SLA was established as a Lebanese body, one of the trends created in the Lebanese system, and acted first and foremost for the promotion of its local interests. All the residents of the area: Druze, Christians and Shiites, and this was more symbolic. 

In the common tissue of life, and in the bloody path in the fighting fields, a profound affinity of warrior fraternity was created, which must not be ignored. Ehud Barak, who was the prime minister and led the withdrawal, explained: "The reality for them became complicated when we decided to leave according to Resolution 425 ... R. Uri Milstein at Ma'ariv earlier this month. 

Strategic decisions do indeed call for cold logic, especially when they involve turning their backs on allies who have come together in a significant way. Even if the underlying argument remains pragmatic, as Barak argues, the emotional and moral dimension should not be ignored. The debate over the relinquishing of the SLA marks an episode that has not yet been formulated and not whitened sufficiently by the security concept of the State of Israel. Renewal of the SLA's abandonment of all the considerations involved in the long-term strategic benefit test. 

The treatment of SLA refugees in Israel, as known to the commanders of the former Lebanese liaison unit, Gabi Ashkenazi and Benny Gantz - is far from complete. 

See more opinions of Maj. Gen. Gershon Cohen

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2020-05-10

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