Israel-Hezbollah PR War Rages

The battle for Lebanon is becoming a war for perception, as all wars must be. Of the photo on the right, WSJ says Israel declared it to be a photo of a destroyed bunker, while Hezbollah said it was a mosque tht was under construction.

The real perception battle, though, is the battle for the final perception of the strength of the Islamist front. WSJ quotes an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson:

"If they [Hezbollah] are perceived as coming out of this conflict with the upper hand, it will energize and empower radicals throughout the Arab world."

Adds former IDF general Shalom Harari:

"The fact that missiles are still landing certainly weakens Israel's image. "[If the war ends with that belief intact, it will] "intensify [Islamic militants'] desire to attack, not only Israel but also Western interests throughout the Middle East.

Hezbollah is proving more difficult than Israel's former enemies, a troubling sign of the effectiveness of the global Islamist axis and their helpers in Moscow, Beijing and Poyngyang. The more effective they are, the more resolute we must be.

Niether a military nor a perception victory will be achieved with a cease-fire now, so the battle must continue, with the full support of the Bush Administration.

Related Tags: Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Bush