FRIDAY, JULY 21 3:00 PM
 

Shalom from Jerusalem,
 
Israel’s third largest city has come under Hizbullah rocket attack again this afternoon just as those Jewish resident who have not fled the port city were making final preparations for the Sabbath, which begins at sundown.  The first attack came just as mid-day Friday Muslim prayers were ending, with at least five rockets striking the city, wounding several civilians, one of them seriously.  Other rockets fell in Tiberius and several other locations.  A second wave of rockets has just struck the city, with one of them reportedly hitting a tall apartment building.  Around 30 rockets rained down upon Israeli territory on Thursday, a significant drop in the number of strikes from the previous day.  Late reports say an Israeli artillery shell has hit a UN outpost in southern Lebanon. 

The latest Hizbullah rocket blitz came after a relatively quiet night in terms of such attacks.  However the border area with Lebanon is hardly peaceful, with intense clashes continuing all night and again today.  Israeli media outlets are reporting that substantial numbers of IDF soldiers are already operating inside south Lebanon, apparently working to establish a new buffer zone designed to stop most of the rocket firings into Israeli territory.  Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz indicated today that a large military reserve call-up may be imminent.  Some 3,000 men reportedly received their notices today.  This came after Lebanon’s Prime Minister said he may order his army to join the fight against IDF forces in the south of his country, which would significantly up the war ante.  

The funerals for the four Israeli soldiers killed in fierce fighting yesterday are being held today.  The deaths bring to 19 Israeli soldiers killed since Hizbullah forces ambushed an IDF patrol and sparked the conflict on July 12th.  One Israeli airman was killed when two military helicopters collided near midnight last night in the upper Galilee.  Ironically many Israelis learned of the tragic accident just before going to bed via the American Fox news channel, which had reporters near the scene of the accident who rushed to the scene.  Israeli media normally withholds such news involving fatalities until next of kin are officially notified of the death.  (See my personal story regarding that below). 

Meanwhile Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah broadcast a statement over the Al Jazeera network last night, confirming reports that he had not been killed or wounded in a massive Israeli air strike on a site believed to cover his underground bunker in southeast Beirut.  He boasted that his forces would prevail in the current conflict, adding he would not agree to stop firing rockets until Israel agreed to release Lebanese prisoners in exchange for two kidnapped Israeli reserve soldiers.  While apologizing for the deaths of two Arab-Israeli boys in a missile strike on Nazareth Wednesday evening, Nasrallah went on to hail them as “shahids” (martyrs) in the Islamic holy war against Israel. Of course he didn’t previously ask the young brothers if they wanted to die for his jihad cause.  Their father did tell CNN (which finally broadcast a story on the boy’s deaths some 26 hours after they occurred) that he blamed Israeli leaders for his son’s slaughter, taking the politically correct line as the Israeli-Hizbullah conflict continues to intensify.
 

LONG AND BITTER WAR?

The comment from the slain brother’s Arab-Israeli father might indicate just how difficult a battle Israel seems to be facing just ahead.  The longer the conflict goes on, the more local and regional Arab public opinion is likely to harden against the world’s only Jewish-run state.  This comes despite the fact that most Arabs are Sunni Muslims with no natural affinity for their Shiite cousins.  Of course, Israeli leaders understand all of that, but see no other choice but to fight a group that has launched repeated and unprovoked attacks upon Israel ever since IDF forces fled Lebanon virtually overnight in May 2000.  

Israeli leaders realize that Hizbullah is actually a Lebanese puppet force that is largely controlled by two regional Islamic powers, Iran and Syria.  As the fighting goes on, it is becoming clear that the Iranian-funded and trained Hizbullah militia was far more prepared for this conflict than most Israeli security analysts and politicians had anticipated.  In reality, Israel is not just battling a rogue militia force, but is already at war with both Syria and Iran. This means a much larger and longer conflict is probably in store than IDF generals were predicting just one week ago.  

Indeed, the chances that the intense ground fighting, Israeli air force bombings and Hizbullah rocket strikes will lead to direct Syrian involvement is seemingly growing every day.   One of Israel’s largest newspapers, Maariv, features a bold front page headline in today’s Friday edition declaring that Sheik Nasrallah has decided to do everything in his power to draw Syria into the fighting.  The article notes that many international media outlets seem to be egging this on, running repeated reports of suffering Lebanese civilians demanding regional Arab military intervention.  

Meanwhile increasing numbers of overseas tourists are canceling travel plans to the Holy Land.  I spoke yesterday with a close friend who runs health clubs in several Jerusalem hotels and businesses.  If fact he just opened a new facility in the beautiful Mount Zion hotel near my home.  He told me that only last month he hired extra staff to handle his mushrooming workload, bringing his employee numbers up the level where they were just prior to the outbreak of the Palestinian Al Aksa attrition war in September 2000.  Now, he has been forced to dismiss all of his new workers and several others who have been with him for a longer time period, in anticipation of a major tourist slump just ahead.  

My friend also informed me that, following the birth of his second daughter last month and his turning 30 years old last April, he has been given a new non-combat assignment if he is called up to do army reserve duty.  Instead of active fighting, he will be on a team sent to the homes of slain IDF soldiers to inform family members of their deaths.  He added grimly that he would really rather be on the front lines of the conflict.

Thanks to all who have written in recent days to express your appreciation for these war updates and to say you are praying for us who are near or in the middle of the conflict.  I hope you all have a peaceful weekend as you continue to watch events here in the Lord’s special Promised Land.

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DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980.  His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions.  Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com