The border between Lebanon and Israel is the UN recognized border. There should be NO territorial dispute between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah not withstanding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebaa_Farms

I’ll leave it there, and hope that you will keep the map, the population metrics, the meanings of words and actions, and the concept of the Levantine past as a guide to its future, in your mind when you discuss Israel–as a way of moving the debate from tit-for-tat blog atmospherics toward some emotional dawning that beyond our airy pettifogging, these topics represent real people.

“So, the entire question of war and peace boils down to Shebaa Farms,”

The entire question of war and peace? No. The fighting between Hizbollah and Israel. Yes. It’s like if both India and Pakistan were to to renounce their claims on Kashmir. Would there still be friction and some hostility? Yes. Would there still be shots fired in anger? Probably not.

“a name which you first encountered somewhere upthread when you (kindly) read my link?”

Heh. No.

“Israel could cede the area and the Jihad would end?”

That’s a pretty broad statement. I was just talking about the IDF/Hez fighting.

“I’m afraid we’re not on the same wavelength here, SJ.”

On that we can agree. I am glad we attmepted the discussion though, and while it did get contentious, it never devloved into outright name calling, and that’s a good thing

Don’t pretend this is some great admission you had to wrench out of me rather than yet another example of you not bothering to read what I write.

Either is able to stop fighting without “losing the nation.” The Shebaa Farms is 16 square miles of land. It’s not that bloody important. If either side gave up their illigitimate claim on it, how could it possibly cause the destruction of anyone’s nation?

That’s my point. I look forward to having to repeat it a dozen more times.

Read your news more carefully please. Why don’t you look through those articles you so kindly linked to a little more carefully. The first one, which I can only assume is the one you half-read here, says that unexploded anti-aircraft shells fell on the village. “Hezbolllah anti-aircraft batteries generally go into action after Israeli fighter jets fly over southern Lebanon.” Ergo, it would appear that they were fired at military targets and ended up falling into a civilian area. Now, if you want to label that terrorism, go ahead, but I believe our military calls it collateral damage when ordinance fired at military targets ends up hitting civilian areas. Please, please, for the love of God, READ. Don’t half-read, leave the other half to your lurid imagination and then post back here all outraged at me. If this isn’t what you were talking abouyt or you have some other recent story about Hezbollah purposefully targeting civilians as you claim, stop holding out on us.

Luther, firstly, I would like to also thank you for your service, but I’m going to have to point out a gross error of fact in you assumptions about Iran with, “Do you believe they have the best interests of the majority of their Iranian countrymen in mind? They have a chance at the caliphate, why would they give that up?” Caliphate? I have news for you, the restoration of the caliphate is a Sunni notion. Setting up a fundamentalist Sunni caliphate has zero traction amongst Shi’a. Seriously, are you going to next claim that the Orange Order is a bunch of papists?

Gary, SJ and I can’t even agree that being murdered is to be dead whether by suicide bomber or katushka rocket. So how could I ever get anywhere trying to point out the Arab treatment of Israel pre Six-Day War?

Yes Gary, that’s the point SJ and his ilk always seem to ignore/gloss over or otherwise dissemble upon.

Aw shucks Buddy, I just wish I was young enough to do it again.