Israel's army demoralized by success of resistance

"We feel like sitting ducks. I am no longer ashamed to say that we are afraid," said one of the Israeli soldiers serving among the occupation forces in the occupied zone of South Lebanon.

The statement was part of a rare campaign in Israel in which soldiers were allowed to express their views on Israel's continued occupation of South Lebanon. "Everyone of us understands we can die at any moment," said another soldiers who explained why he refused to be photographed with his friends. He referred to the latest round of photos published in the local press of soldiers posing for cameras, some of whom already killed in Lebanese Resistance attacks in the past few weeks. "We are more afraid now than ever. I am not ashamed of saying that quite a lot of my friends and I are simply afraid. Hizbollah's improved weapons frightens us," the soldier concluded.

Many soldiers are now confident that their presence in Occupied South Lebanon has no justification at all. The security theory that has been used by various Israeli government to justify their occupation of Lebanon does not exist any more. When the Israeli troops first occupied South Lebanon to bring so-called security and safety to the northern settlements, they never believed that one day, this mission would become so deadly and so unfruitful from an Israeli perspective. "I tell my mother everything is OK, that we are at the observation post," said another soldier, "but now our parents know that these outposts have turned into Hizbollah targets. That is what happened during the past few weeks. Our parents know that we are 'only' standing at the observation point, but this is very dangerous. We are fed up. We have no support from the public. There are too many losses and everyday is more difficult."

It is not easy any more to hide the sense of disappointment and even despair to a certain extent among those Israeli occupiers in South Lebanon. Throughout the years, they had been told by their superiors that their presence was for the good of the northern settlements. "We used not to speak like this. We thought, only a month ago, that our presence in Lebanon was vital and ensured security," said a third soldier, "but we understand that we are only looking out for ourselves and not for the northern communities. We prefer not to be there if we, too, are insecure at the outposts." The Israeli army in the Occupied zone in south Lebanon today feel that not only they failed to provide protection to the northern settlements but they have also failed to attain security for themselves. What contributed to their demoralization was the repeated statements by senior officials, including the prime minister himself, that the Israeli army will pull out of Lebanon by July this year. "We all want to get out. We know a date has been set. If the decision has already been made, why wait? How will this help? Another slain soldier? Two more slain soldiers? Why risk more deaths? None of us wants to be the last soldier slain in Lebanon."

Israel, which has for years claimed to have the only invincible army in the Middle East has again been confronted with the bitter realities of occupation. The tone by which Israeli soldiers speak of their presence in South Lebanon reflects how low their moral is, especially when they speak of the unlikelihood of them winning the war in Lebanon. "We will not win this war. We are big and heavy but Hizbollah is small and bites. We have to get out. The longer we are there, the more casualties there will be. We, the soldiers, do not understand what is going on in Lebanon."

The fact that the military censorship and the army command in Israel have turned a deaf ear to criticism voiced by soldiers on duty tells a lot. It shows how desperate the Israeli government is in its fetch for ways to pull out of Lebanon and is currently using the soldiers themselves as a media tool to mobilize further support among the public opinion. A few years ago, this kind of statements by soldiers on duty were enough to put the speaker on trial, or at least on a military tribunal. These statements, under the present circumstances, are very much needed, even by the top echelon in Israel.

The dilemma is not the soldiers' only. Even their officers share the same feelings, though they are a bit less outspoken. An officer interviewed by the Hebrew press said that the soldiers in South Lebanon are simply "doing nothing." The time has come to find a solution, he said. He expressed hopes that the things he and his soldiers say would reach the decision-making echelons. "If the soldiers explain how really afraid they are, this may have repercussions and something will then be done. I don't have much to say to soldiers who come and ask why we don't respond. The situation is very complex. There is a dilemma here which I, as a commander, understand. But how much longer will we continue to suffer losses?"