Costly Lebanese lessons for Israel?

KUALA LUMPUR — The crisis in the Middle East continues and has once again escalated from an essentially Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an almost regional one, involving not only Israel and Palestine but at least Iran and Lebanon, too, and one might say, even Syria and Yemen. Last week, for example, saw Israel invading Lebanon again. From historical and tactical perspectives, I think the outcome of this Lebanese invasion will once again be very costly for Israel, not least in terms of casualties.

Lebanon is Israel's northern neighbor. Until the mid-1970s, Lebanon was considered a peaceful and prosperous country. The Lebanese capital, Beirut, was even nicknamed Little Paris. This was partly because French was commonly used (as Lebanon had been under French mandate) and partly due to the vibrant entertainment scene there. Both residents and tourists enjoyed life to the fullest in Beirut and beyond, much like in the romantic city of Paris.