What was this war all about? What does it mean to be in a war? How should we deal with the ongoing and intensifying problems in the region?

Below are two opinion pieces that we perceive as important, and which can help us understand the reasons for the Israel-Lebanon 2006 war. The articles are followed by  study questions.

Behind these pieces stand two prominent columnists: Ben Caspit, a chief Israeli political commentator and longstanding critic of Israeli governments, who surprised many by writing in support of the current government's actions in Lebanon; and Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, who won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary in 1987, and was named by the Financial Times as America's most influential commentator.

In addition, if you are interested in reading about Hezbollah, please the see the profile below, written by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies.

The latest addition to this page is an opinion article written by David Forman, founding chair of Rabbis for Human Rights, and the author of "Jewish Schizophrenia in the Land of Israel"
A Dove Supports Israel's Fight, The Jewish Week, 18 August 

 
"We Will Not Capitulate", proposing a text for a speech by Prime Minister Olmert to explain what we are fighting for, Ma’ariv, July 30, 2006  

“Why They Fight”, The Washington Post, July 14, 2006

Questions

1. Compare the similarities and differences in the aims of both articles. How is the difference in aim reflected in the choice of titles and tone?
2. How does Ben Caspit's article portray Jewish/Western values? How is this war linked to the background of the Jewish people?
3. What does Krauthammer mean when he writes: "One terror base located fully in unoccupied Arab territory (South Lebanon) attacks Israel in support of another terror base in another fully unoccupied Arab territory (Gaza)"?
4. Though the articles seek to explain Israel's position in the current conflict, also embedded in both are complaints toward the West. What are these complaints? How do these complaints relate to the slightly different context in which each of articles was written (though the context on the whole is the war in Lebanon, Caspit writes in the context of Kfar Kana while Krauthammer writes in the context of the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War)? Do you agree?
5. Both writers explain that the root cause of the current conflict in the Middle East is the desire to destroy Israel. How do they substantiate their claim?
6. If you could ask each writer a question, what would it be?

Hezbollah Profile, by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies.