WHO REALLY WINS?

"Every man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind." - John Donne

Such is the way of the world that although United Nations Security Council Resolution No 1701 was passed unanimously and subsequently accepted by both Lebanon and Israel, there is some doubt as to whether it will ever be fully implemented.

It is still early but at least the cease-fire remains in effect. The civilian populations of both nations are slowly beginning to return to their every day lives. Lebanese troops are preparing to move in to replace the IDF in Southern Lebanon along with a beefed up U.N. force. Across Lebanon and Israel there is hope that we might soon see the end of one of the most destructive foreign occupations of modern times - that of Lebanon by Hizbullah in its capacity as proxy for Syria and Iran.

Predictably, the wolves are bickering about who won but the posturing of both sides merely papers over the fact that there is no true victory in a war between neighbours.

This will not prevent Hassan Nasrallah from boasting to his supporters that he has managed to achieve a "strategic victory" nor will it deter those of his media cheerleaders who have no compunction about using smoke and mirrors to manipulate a narrative of this conflict in order to paint Hizbullah as a fierce and victorious "resistance" force.

One can only wonder however, what Hizbullah was resisting on July 12 when it cast the first stone?

If there really was nothing to resist in the first place then Hizbullah's talk of victory in the face of such a high cost in terms of the lives of its own men (whose numbers are never disclosed) as well as those of ordinary Lebanese and the considerable devastation of two countries should trouble all of us because its leader has shown himself to be a person who is not at all involved in mankind.