Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AP
Just let him rot
No need to kill Hizbullah leader, who is quickly becoming an Israeli asset
The IDF went easy on Nasrallah
when it characterized him Saturday as “cynical and vicious.” The Hizbullah
leader’s boastful claim to be holding the body parts of Israeli soldiers was nothing short of dreadful, repugnant, and horrifying. His words made our blood boil, and impassioned calls for providing the “sewer rat” with a one-way ticket to the cemetery soon followed.
We must keep in mind that Nasrallah represents a wide phenomenon. He may be a particularly eloquent and charismatic representative of Shiite radicalism, but he is by no means its sole flag-bearer. Sending him to his grave prematurely will not eliminate the problem.
Yet despite this, and in fact because of this, Israel must not kill the scavenger from Beirut.
Harsh Response
Hanan Greenberg
Army officials slam Hizbullah leader after Nasrallah says group holds body parts of IDF troops
Moreover, and as odd as this may sound, the Hizbullah chief’s twisted rhetoric is good for Israel. Our enemies may spend endless hours claiming that Islamists are inherently good, but a little quality time with uncle Hassan makes all such efforts futile.
When watching Nasrallah in action, one cannot shake the grim feeling that he is reducing Islam, a proud religion boasting a rich culture and brilliant history, to a butcher shop trading in body parts. This is the face of Islam as reflected through the face of Nasrallah. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that his speech caused embarrassment even among Arab media outlets, with news editors choosing to focus on his political commentary.
Sinking lower to garner attention
Indeed, at his current weakened state, Nasrallah is an asset to Israel. Just like Iran’s Ahmadinejad, his contemptible rhetoric merely serves to alienate Hizbullah from growing parts of humanity. Killing him will eliminate this strategic asset, turn him into a martyr, give Israel-bashers some more ammunition, and likely renew rocket attacks on the northern front. There is also no telling who would be stepping into his robe – after all, Nasrallah himself “came to power” after Israel assassinated his predecessor.Weakened and in hiding, Nasrallah increasingly feels the need to sink lower in order to garner some attention. A few months ago it was the “military maneuver” he boasted of – which turned out to be no more than a bunch of unarmed men in civilian clothes moving around the countryside. Now he is betting on body parts.
Yet every time Nasrallah opens his mouth these days, Israel scores a few points. In fact, the lower he sinks the less human he appears, while increasingly resembling the human cadavers which he claims to be holding. We should just let him rot on his own.
