By Khalid Amayreh

Saad al Hariri's recent visit to Iran is undoubtedly a welcomed development. It served the interests of Lebanon, Iran and all other forces that stand against Israel's nefarious designs in the region.

We all know the diabolical nature of Israeli goals in Lebanon. These can be summarized into the following:

First, Israel is interested in keeping Lebanon in a constant state of civil or sectarian strife in order to weaken the country and show the western world that Israel is the Christians' friend in this predominantly Muslim region. Thank goodness, most of the Lebanese Christians have come a long way since they believed Zionist lies and propaganda about Israeli friendship. In the mid 1970s, successive Israeli governments, especially under the Likud and other fascist-minded parties, privately entertained the idea of creating a Christian mini-state in Lebanon , which would be another Israel in the part of the Arab world.

Some misguided Lebanese leaders more or less fell in love with the satanic idea and showed a propensity to open the gates of Lebanon to the Israeli invaders, the coveters of Lebanon's waters and fertile land.

Some of these perfidious leaders eventually came to regret their solicitations with Israel; others, unfortunately, remained un-repentant, probably awaiting another opportunity to reactivate their treachery and un-patriotism.

Of course, collaboration with Israel transcended sectarian lines, as sick minds and hearts appear in every community regardless of race and religion.

The recent discovery of a vast network of Israeli spies in Lebanon was an additional proof showing that Israel's criminal goals in Lebanon have remained unchanged. Which more than justifies Lebanon's firm approach to "peace with Israel."

Second, a key and well-known Israeli goal in Lebanon is the weakening and corrosion of Hezbullah. Israel simply can't tolerate seeing a dignified and credible anti-Zionist force in the region. Israel would want to see most if not all Arab countries transformed into an open field for Israeli operations, covert and overt. Hence, the existence of truly patriotic forces like Hezbullah more than irks the Israelis as it seriously disrupts their plans and designs. Moreover, the effective resistance which Hezbullah put up in the face of the Nazi-like Israeli aggression in 2006 seriously unsettled the Israeli military-political establishment, prompting it to place Hezbullah at the top of its strategic targets in the region.

But Hezbullah has managed to outsmart the Israelis in many respects, and its remarkable success in endearing many Lebanese, effectively wining them over to its side, further frustrated the Israelis and their presumed collaborators at the Lebanese arena.

Israel doesn't have permanent allies or friends in Lebanon. In the 1960s and 1970s Israel actively sought to recruit the Shiite community against Palestinian expatriates, including PLO forces, in Lebanon.

However, after this dignified community discovered Israel's ugly and criminal face, they turned against Zionist invaders, effectively smashing all western conspiracies that had been hatching in Lebanon .

One may not necessarily agree with all the policies of Hezbullah. However, there is no doubt that Hezbullah is par excellence one of the most noble phenomenon which Lebanon and the entire Arab world has ever produced since the downfall of the Ottoman state.

Hezbullah may not have completely defanged Israel for obvious reasons. However, the organization has demonstrated to all and sundry that invading Lebanon, raping its sovereignty, and murdering and maiming its men, women and children will not be a mid-spring excursion for Tzahal, the Jewish Wehrmacht.

On this occasion, we salute all these men and women of Hezbullah who taught us the meaning of dignity and who taught the Israelis, by fire and blood, that aggression and insolence don't pay off.

Finally, we must not be oblivious to Israel's ultimate strategic goal in Lebanon, namely the usurpation and occupation of large parts of Southern Lebanon, which would enable Israel to put its hands on Lebanon's rich water resources.

This goal may be dormant these days, and some Israelis would argue that it is a distant afterthought. But Israel is a treacherous snake and no safety or trust could ever come from its side.

Hence, Lebanon and its dignified citizens must be always vigilant to repulse any Israeli adventures in this regard. Israel is simply suffering an acute shortage of water, and its obscene theft of Palestinian waters, seems to have failed to solve the problem, especially given the consistently dwindling rainfall rates.

Don't rely on the UN or the so-called international community. The Palestinians have done so, thinking that justice is still a moral value in a world driven by greed, immoral politics, spin and a jungle mentality. We know the rest of the story.

There is no doubt that Iran can and will play a constructive role in fostering internal and inter-denominational peace in Lebanon.

This includes a settlement of the Hariri assassination affair through the Lebanese Justice system.

However, the Lebanese people know well that it is never enough for one to be right; One has to be wise as well.

In the final analysis, Lebanon must be saved and Israel and its collaborators must be defeated at any price.

Justice must be done, but if doing justice would ruin the country and re-ignite the flames of civil war, then it is better to postpone justice pending a more appropriate time.

I am sure that the last thing that Rafiq Hariri imagined or would have imagined is the manipulation of his assassination for an internecine civil war that could shred Lebanon to smithereens. (end)

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By Khalid Amayreh source: The Palestinian Information Center http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7aCuLnH6gLMRiRz4nvk8k12gg1d7CxqAy9ed7u5u5kXfGywQa1wiuiXMHHPVHtp1Ez4J9QBj%2bcQtJ2A6FS6nnyDIP7O%2fKx0ffiFMEQGvZFt4%3d