Because of Hezbollah many Lebanese are leaving for good. The Shia have turned back the clock 500 years.

As a journalist who has observed the situation in the middle east for the last 40 years,I find Professor Zisser's analysis the closest to the reality of the present situation.One point that I beg to differ on,Israel in the end will not loose but gain from a stable government in Lebanon if it is truly seeking a genuine peace.

Ever notice how christians who live in muslim lands either live in the mountains or with their backs to the sea?

"However, Nasrallah has patience and restraint and is prepared to wait it out until the time is ripe for the big step. Siniora is demonstrating extraordinary courage in face of Nasrallah's display of terror." I agree with much of what you said but how do you define terror , Prof?This is the first time I've seen a street demonstration being categorized as "terror"

AFTER 34 DAYS OF ISRAEL IN LEBANONN. ISRAEL MUST LEAVE LEBANON ISRAEL IS INVADING LEBANON. ISRAEL IS DESTROYING A VERY PEACEFUL COUNTRY. LEBANON ONLY WANTS PEACE. ISRAEL IS DESTROYINGTHE PEACE. ASSRALAH WANTS PEACE. HUH?....OHH SORRY....... I WAS READING SOME OLD NEWS

If the army's assessment of the situation in Lebanon is based on such pieces of racist stuff, no wonder Israel did so well in july. M. Zisser's racism is quite impressive. Really.

Zisser is objective and not imaginative. We need to separate Nasrallah from the many decent but poor people. The poor needs assistance unless we want more tension. Zand is plain dishonest. An Iranian manipulated by the Supreme Misleader. An Iranian manipulator. The twisted manipulation must be rejected. Decent Israelis have to respect the Shia and other Lebanese population. Without killer misleaders, the nations must settle with each others' diversity. All people - Zisser and Zand - can use a big dose of Enlightenment.

If he´s enjoying the support of the Sunnis, Druze and Christians.. why he doesn´t call for new elections? This way he would expose Nasrallahs (and his sponsors´) true intentions, forcing them to either resort to violence and face International Community or retreat. But arab leaders aren´t like that.

Hizbullah got the opurtunity to chart a new course on the back of Iranian support,currently in middle east but later surely it will also engulf south asia in a holy war. They were stealthly consolodating their power and thanks to Israel they were made heroes overnight. Now lets face it, Iran is controlling Iraq partially and once the americans limps back from there they will have a resurgence of Shiate Islam and then as per routine the impotent rulers of Middle Eastern countries will have to scumb to Iranian and Shiate influence. It is important that the situation of Palestine is resolved ASAP.This situation is currently working in Iran's favor as it is becomming a champion of their cause and history has repeatedly shown that occupation cannot last forever anyway.So Iran will be able to rally the support of normal muslims. The whole region will be destabalised and the upheavel will be of such magnitude that what currently is happening will not even be a trailer.

So, calling for orderly, peaceful protest is equivilent to a "display of terror". is it ? I'm sure Dr. Martin Luther King, or Mahatma Ghandi would be glad to hear of THAT nonsense ! Second, why is it, in your opinion, considered 'unreasonable' for , in your OWN words " the Shiites,the largest community in the country. " to demand "influence and veto power regarding every decision. " ? I cannot speak intelligently about the Isreali plitical system, but HERE, if, in theory, the Republicans are "the largest community in the country", they would ALSO domininate the halls of power...as they HAVE for the past 12 years, up until very recently ! Why is it 'unreasonable' to view Lebanese politics any differently ? "both sides will ultimately emerge only partially appeased: Siniora will be forced to surrender to some of Nasrallah's' demands and Nasrallah will have to detract some of his other demands. ".....it's called COMPROMISE between political entities....a fact of LIFE in almost ANY political system ! And you call yourself an educated man ?

Prof Zisser is right. Israel is paying the price for its stupidity. It has strengthened its enemies in more ways then even they had imagined. Hezbollah is more popular now than ever. It looks like kidnapping Israeli soldiers has brought them benefits. Arabs throughout the middleeast are all now admiring Hezbollah and looking up to its leader Nasrallah as if he was a lion of God. Arabs now think they fighting is the only way to beat Israel. Israel is paying a very heavy price for believing that military might will make it safer. For past 50 years this strategy has failed misrably. Israel is almost finished. Its time to pack the bags.

i have recently started to read some Israeli newspapers online in an effort to understand Israeli mindset and what i have found so far is quite disturbing. Here is a "professor", a supposedly learned man, so blinded by bigotry that he equates democaracy with terror; as peaceful street demonstration is a normal and necessary part of democracy. He is right, though, that Israel has much to lose from the way events are shaping up in Lebanon and recent Israeli misadventure is largely to be blamed for this. One would not expect an Israeli acadenic to sing Narallah's praise, although seeing things from another angle there may be a few reasons, what is insulting the readers intelligence is his choice of words/ arguments to smear an enemy come what may.

Unfortunately for you we heard we were finished in 1938 and that didn't work out, now did it? You will never be able to get rid of the Jews as much as people like you try. BLame us for all the problems in the world, but it is people like you that are the real problem.

who are you to tell us how we should run our country? when your opposition calls for your goverment to resign for its failures do you call them terrorists? amazing how arrogant you are, keep your nose out of lebanon. how many attempts will it take by your gov before it learns its lesson that everytinme they stick their nose in lebanese affairs their neck is placed on the line... may Rabin rest in peace, a true man with a true vision for true peace.

Not as much as Israel gets from the US!!

If this is the profesor at Tel Aviv university then I think the university is in dire need of an overhaul

When your country isn't starting wars with Jews....it is starting civil wars with itself. But if you must kill one another....we won't interfere! By the way, what colors will each group be wearing this time while you kill one another. The colors help when you watch the coverage on CNN. We can keep track of who's killing whom!

But we now know that he may have had a little population cleansing problem himself. Hey, even the germans and french thought that shitler was a wonderful guy..oops, guess they played that one wrong. So, not to worry. History unfortunately will have to clarify the playing field. But hey, if Lebanese want complete repression, go for it. Congrats.

in democracy iam like any one in lebanon or usa or like this steven wilson from alaska .. but in policy iam in lebanon and he is in washinton and this one in talavive .. so democracy will never run with policy . as the policy will never run with democracy ..it is the truth wich will not hurt evry one

911 was not done by Arabs. Israel used America to invade Iraq and shilled next for Iran. It played it's cards and the USA attack dog lost. When attack dogs go crazy--only onething is done--kill it !

ITS SEEMS FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THE SYRIAN/IRANIAN/HIZBULLAH AXIS ASSINATED HARRIRI,GEMAYEL ETC WHAT KIND OF FREEDOM ,DEMOCARCY LOVING PEOPLE ARE THESE.LET LEBANON GOVERN ITSELF

wow and who are you Mr. Gadget and figured it all up why dont u stop repeat what they tell you like parrots and think for a bit to know who is the benefit from every thing happening in the middle east now except for the july war i guess israel's butt is still red for buttkicking

This leader is rising to power as a direct result of Israel's war crimes. This is what is known as "chickens coming home to roost". When Israel is nuked and half the world is laughing about it, Israel will finally understand that there are severe repercussions to murdering hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings as part of arab genocide plans of Zionism. Without this Zionism- there would be peace. So is this leader in Lebanon the problem? No. Zionism is, because he could not exist without it.