Mohammad Barakeh, Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, said Monday that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 allows Israel to continue attacks on Lebanon. According to Barakeh the resolution grants Israel the freedom to interpret any act by Hezbollah as an attack.
Accordingly, Hezbollah is perceived as the aggressor, while Israel is acting in defense. One of Barakeh’s main points of contention to the resolution is that it does not provide a timetable for the Israeli withdrawal. When considering Israel’s past failure to abide by similar UN resolutions, Barakeh has little faith that Israel will withdraw in a timely manner.
Upon submitting the resolution, Israel was given preferential treatment. Representatives were permitted to pre-approve the text before it was issued, but Lebanese officials and Hezbollah representatives were given no such privilege.
With Israel’s 70 to 80 breaches on the Lebanese border over the past six years and its complete failure to return Hezbollah prisoners as required by a deal made two years ago, Barakeh believes Israel’s aggression is unjustified and that Israel could have achieved its goals without war.
With Israel’s 70 to 80 breaches on the Lebanese border over the past six years and its complete failure to return Hezbollah prisoners as required by a deal made two years ago, Barakeh believes Israel’s aggression is unjustified and that Israel could have achieved its goals without war.
Barakeh also commented on America’s role in the war, “The United States wants Israel to continue this war as part of its own while the US threatens Syria and Iran, and continues its war on Iraq with the aim of deepening American imperialist domination over the region.”
