The Israeli author David Grossman, born 1954 in Jerusalem, is among the best known authors of his country. Recently in 2004 he published the collection of Novellas "The memory of the skin"

The heavy attack of Hezbollah on Galilee, the northern part of Israel, proves - if any proof was necessary - how little suffices to bring the whole region to the brink of war. Israel has responded with a counter attack, and rightly so. There is no justification for the attack that Hezbollah undertook last week from Lebanese territory on dozens of peaceful Israeli villages. No state on earth can abandon his citizens silently when the neighbouring country - without being provoked - executes such an attack.

Six years ago, Israel withdrew from all Lebanese territory that it had occupied 1982 and returned behind the officially recognized boarder. The United Nations welcomed the withdrawal, confirmed the end of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon and found that all border-issues between both states were settled. Shortly afterwards, the Hezbollah began violating the UN-decision. It set up positions along the border, declared that the path of the border was invalid at one point (Schab'a Farm) and strengthened its military power with help from Syria and Iran.

Israel cannot react differently
For many years, the Lebanese government has avoided the direct confrontation with Hezbollah, which has established in south Lebanon a system of positions and vast arsenals, equipped with thousands of missiles that threaten large parts of Israel. Israel itself, that did not want to "heat up" the situation, did not really pressure Hezbollah either. Thus, the unbearable situation was created in which from the territory of the sovereign state of Lebanon, a state that does not have any claims as to Israel, an organisation is acting freely which has been declared a terrorist group by the United Nations and is attacking Israel again and again.

Israel is now acting against Lebanon because this country is officially responsible for Hezbollah and because from its territory missiles and Katjuschas are being launched against Israeli cities. Hezbollah supporters are members of the Lebanese government and participate in political decisions. While I am writing these lines, millions of innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians are suffering heavy attacks.

In Beirut and Haifa, in the Lebanese Bika as in the Israeli Galilee, children and adults are facing the serious threat of war. Israel and Lebanon must do everything to prevent more innocent people from being harmed. But whoever demands that all acts of violence end in this moment must know that Hezbollah have perfidiously and intentionally created a situation in which Israel was left with no other way of answering the heavy attack on its own territory.

Difficult double - play
The recent outbreak of violence shows a particularly problematic similarity between the attitude of the Lebanese government and that of the PLO towards Israel. One can say that both have two heads that contradict each other: One acts "state like" and moves on political paths and relatively moderate, the other declares itself free to act completely as it pleases. The latter uses terror against civilians, racist rhetoric and openly demands the destruction of Israel.

This double-play is one of the reasons that make a lasting agreement between Israel and its neighbours so very difficult. Also, it is a main reason that a large majority within Israel - including many peace activists - have lost all belief in the moderate powers in the Arabic states. A further difficulty lies in the fact that a similar double play - although less extreme and without the desire to destroy the other side - exists in the actions of Israel towards the Palestinians.

The perspectives for the future are not bright. As is known, Israel does not only want to reply to the attack by Hezbollah. At the same time, Israel wants to re-organize the situation along the border according to UN resolution 1599 and force the Lebanese government to keep Hezbollah out of this area. This goal has its logic and justification, however the aggressive way in which the operation is conducted inherits dangers. The Lebanese government is weak, and the Lebanon could face total collapse and a civil war.

Hezbollah: the extended arm of Iran
During the last decades, Israel has time and again got involved militarily in Lebanon without ever reaching its goals. As is known, earlier attempts of Israel to "form" the Arabic realities have failed. A further declared goal of Israeli generals and politicians - to break the power and influence of Hezbollah - is doomed from the very beginning and reminds of the short-sightedness of Israeli leaders that 1982 had declared to have destroyed the PLO. Even though the military power balance today clearly favours Israel, the Hezbollah has wide support in Iran, Syria and the Arabic world, and whoever believes in an Israeli knockout- victory is misled.

However, there is a crucial difference between the actions of the Palestinians and the Lebanese as to Israel. The Hezbollah is - openly - the extended arm of Iran in the Middle East, the outpost of a state with declared murderous intentions towards Israel. Without a doubt, the Hezbollah is dedicated to the Palestinian case, but its goal is not a just peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. From its actions, one can clearly tell that even if there was such an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Hezbollah would continue to reject all compromises and act against Israel thereby undermining any stability.

Successful suppression
The relationship between Israel and the Palestinians is substantially different. Both peoples must come to a peace agreement it they want to exist here in the future. Both have the clear interests to reach a compromise and would for this purpose even let go of fundamental demands. Both sides are aware that the conflict can not be solved by violence in the end. The attack of Hezbollah however has led to the situation that both fronts merge to one single feeling of threat to the existence within the Israelis.
This feeling does not accord to the military situation, but it can lead to a disproportionate attack against Lebanon and additionally delay a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts for a long time.

In Israel as in the flourishing, west-oriented Beirut many people want to believe they no longer really belong to the Middle East conflict. Frustrated by its murderous, fundamental and hopeless character, they created their own little world of comfort, luxury and escapism. In Israel, many even managed to ignore the momentary bloody confrontation with the Palestinians in the Gaza strip - the Kassam missiles that Palestinians are launching on the south of Israel, and on the other side the suffering of the Palestinians under the counter-attack. Now the youngest events have shaken everybody awake and remind again of the matters that life in the Middle East consists of. Changing these matters into stable peace relationships nowadays probably not only requires diplomatic art but also alchemistic knowledge.