Lebanon aftermath

Declan Walsh in the Guardian:

As Israeli warplanes pulverised Lebanon's infrastructure and laid entire villages to waste, many Lebanese silently rallied around the fighters' resistance. But since a ceasefire took hold 11 days ago, sectarian dissent has slowly swelled.

Druze, Sunni and some Christian leaders blame Hizbullah for provoking Israel and are demanding the group submit to the national government. "The [political] situation has become dramatically worse since July 12," said Michael Young, opinion page editor at the Daily Star newspaper. "The perception among non-Shia communities is that Hizbullah went to war without consulting with anyone."

Fouad Siniora, Lebanese prime minister:

I don't believe it can happen again... I don't think Hizbullah is in the same position where it was before the war, and won't be able to repeat what it did. It learned the lesson from what happened.

Gadi Taub:

The conclusion seems to be the same then [for Lebanon and Gaza]. An international peace keeping force can save both Israelis and Palestinians from remaining hostages to fanatics. This is the best interest of Israel, of Palestine, and of the party of peace worldwide. If only the international community mustered the will, a breakthrough in the peace process is now within reach, and a chance to break the grip of fundamentalism on the most sensitive levers of the Middle East close at hand.

If only the international community mustered the will. This is not a small if...
.....
If the Middle East is a barrel of dynamite, the Israeli Palestinian conflict is the fuse. The conditions for defusing it are ripe. It would be tragic, though not surprising, if Europe lets the opportunity slip away. But this time around it would not only be tragic, it would also be foolish in terms of European self-interest. This is not only about Middle Easterners caught in a cycle of destruction and death. This is the front line of a larger struggle. It is the first rainfall in a gathering global storm. Has Europe become so short-sighted, so lacking in volition, as not to be able to protect even its own future peace and prosperity?