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HEZBOLLAH, ISRAEL, AND THE U.S.: A CONFLICT WITH FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS
AUG 23, 2006 - 1:38AM PDT
by Jade Miller
Andy Sternberg provided invaluable research support for this report. The 33-day military confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel and the subsequent cease-fire and aid operation has important public diplomacy implications not only for the two warring parties but for many other state and non-state actors. The conflict commanded the world's attention. Much more than a land dispute or run-of-the-mill cross-border antagonism, the conflict encapsulated, highlighted, and exacerbated many other strains in the region and in world politics at large, including the struggle of Lebanon's newly elected government to control its territory, the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Syrian and Iranian influence in Southern Lebanon through their support for Hezbollah, U.S. support for Israel, and associations with the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The actions of each party associated with the Israel-Hezbollah conflict have been noticed around the world and linked to much larger trends. The implications from this conflict for each actor are manifold. Almost every nation in the world has a registered response to the Hezbollah – Israeli conflict. Many nations criticized both Hezbollah's and Israel's actions, and called for a cease-fire. However, many of these countries expressed their sympathies through emphasizing one criticism over the other. The U.S. was at the forefront of those nations emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense against Hezbollah. Joining in on the pro-Israel side were allies in the "war on terror" such as the U.K., as well as some nations that were against the war in Iraq, such as Germany and Canada. Most nations, save Syria and, to some extent, Iran, did not come out directly in support of Hezbollah, an extra-national organization regarded by some in part or in whole as a terrorist group. Countries typically associated with anti-Americanism, such as Venezuela and many Muslim nations such as Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt , Yemen, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and, perhaps of particular interest, Iraq, and Afghanistan, came out against Israel in this conflict by denouncing the IDF military campaign as overkill. Many countries that were against the Iraq war, such as Spain, Russia, France and Italy have also heavily criticized Israeli conduct. Following the mid-August cease-fire, Israel emerged enmeshed in negative international opinion from much of the world, but particularly in Muslim nations as a result of the conflict. While many acknowledged Israel's right to react in a militant fashion to Hezbollah's initial hostilities, Israel's response, particularly in regards to civilian casualties, was deemed by many as excessive, and the product of a joint American-Israeli policy of hostility towards Muslim nations. Support and sympathy for Israel has been particularly strong in the U.S., however, where 81% of Americans reported believing that Israel's offensive in Lebanon were justified and 37% believing that all Israeli military action was justified. While not directly involved in the military operations in Southern Lebanon, the U.S. is undoubtedly considered one of the major players in the conflict and has much at stake here. Across the world, the actions of Israel are closely linked with the image of the U.S., as a result of the U.S.'s actions…... FULL TEXT
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