Christian Villages Spared Israeli Wrath
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Christian villages across southern Lebanon have been left largely untouched as Israel battles to destroy the Hezbollah infrastructure embedded in Shiite communities between the Israel-Lebanon border and the Litani River some 18 miles to the north. That is due primarily to the Christian population's disdain for Hezbollah, and refusal to allow the terror group to operate from within its communities. Not only do Lebanon's Christians and Druse by and large oppose Hezbollah, many who previously fought alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as part of the South Lebanon Army continue to foster strong pro-Israel sentiments. Speaking to the AP, Hamoudi Zeineldine, a hotel worker from the village of Ein Qana, noted that it was Israel that constructed many of southern Lebanon's roads and provided jobs for thousands during its 18-year occupation. One Druse villager, Majed Hamza, expressed a desire to see the current conflict escalate, saying he would take advantage of the situation to move "to Israel and...stay there." Many others who once backed Israel are now reluctant to take sides, remembering their harsh treatment at the hands of Hezbollah when the IDF abruptly withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000.
Article © All Headline News - All Rights Reserved
|
