These uneducated people have all heard about the injustice of America and Israel and willingly offer up their lives because they are told that a special place in heaven will be waiting for them. This highlights a tragedy that is infrequently spoken of: these men and women are sent to die by those who would not make the same sacrifice themselves. That being said, all three also expressed a fervent dislike of Israel. They told me about a lot of situations that are not covered in Western news broadcasts such as the Palestinian crops that rot at the Wall. The crops rot because Israel will not let them in to sell their produce inside Jerusalem because they fear more suicide bombings. Every day thousands of Arabs sneak into Jerusalem to find work, commuting ten miles or farther. The people who suffer are never those who antagonize these conflicts.
Hezbollah has changed much since its beginning. The party of God has been many things and the group has held many identities ranging from a theocratic institution to an armed guerrilla force to a social institution encouraging the growth of Lebanon. The ties to Iran, Syria, and Hamas show that the goals of Hezbollah are not entirely peaceful and their manifesto confirms their intention to destroy Israel in any manner possible.
After this most recent conflict, many Arab nations and people are cheering for the Hezbollah for successfully defying Israel a second time. Islam as a religion is about peace, however. All the prophets of all the major religions are included within the Koran and a lot of common ground exists between Hezbollah and their enemies. This consistent fighting does nothing except destroy progress and waste lives. Whatever good Hezbollah renders is balanced out by continually encouraging the hostility of Israel. When Israel acts it is not Hezbollah that suffers, it is the Lebanese.
The last thing the Middle East needs is another militant group. Hezbollah, in my opinion, does not care about Lebanon. The work they do is a cover to maintain the social support they need to survive within Lebanon. Hezbollah is an organization that only helps encourage an unstable situation. The destruction of Israel is not an option. What is done is done. Reparations should be assuredly made but the death or removal of six and half million Israeli citizens is not a feasible option. I am not laying all the blame at Hezbollah's feet because I feel that Israel is just as guilty, if not more so, for their actions which include everything from the Six Day War to the occupation of Lebanon to the construction of that monstrosity between Israel and Palestine.
What would be truly monumental would be if just one of these militant groups stepped forward and made it mandatory for everyone to sit down and not get up until every single problem has at least been addressed. The only possible outcome of this continued belligerence is an intensified war with some horrifically possible outcomes. Hezbollah is in a unique position and I wish that Hassan Nasrallah, who has shown that he is nobody's fool, could move beyond his hatred and see the good that he and his organization could render. However, this is a pipedream as long as Hezbollah is financed by Iran and Syria and as long as Israel itself encourages this hatred through their actions.
