...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...Friday, leaving some Lebanese demonstrators and troops suffering breathing problems.
The tension on the edge of the Lebanese border village of Kfarshouba began earlier this week over the Israeli military digging in the area that Lebanon claims.
On Wednesday, a Lebanese villager tried to stop an Israeli bulldozer from digging a trench along the border. Once the villager's legs were covered with sand as the bulldozer moved ahead, U.N. peacekeepers jumped in and convinced the driver to move back. Videos of the elderly man with his legs stuck in the sand dune went viral on social media.
Israel ended an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon when its troops withdrew from the area in May 2000.
Friday's protest took place on the edge of Kfarshouba hills, which Beirut says is Lebanese land occupied by Israel. Kfarshouba Hills and the nearby Shebaa Farms are areas captured by Israel during the 1967 Mideast War and claimed by Lebanon.
| The usual international body that rules on such things ruled that the Shebaa Farms belong to Israel, not Lebanon. But Hezbollah needs something to fuss about, so here they are rushing toward the border so as to get photos and video of Israel pushing back. |
"DO NOT CROSS BLUE LINE," read a banner carried by a U.N. peacekeeper in Arabic, English and French, referring to the border drawn after Israel’s withdrawal in 2000. Israeli troops and several vehicles, including a heavily armored Merkava tank, were seen in the area.
Lebanese troops were on alert in the area and reinforcements were brought in.
In a statement, the Israeli military said protesters tried to damage a border barrier and threw stones at Israeli soldiers in the area. The Israeli army said forces responded with "riot dispersal means," which typically means tear gas or stun grenades. The Israeli army said it "would not allow any attempt to violate Israeli illusory sovereignty."
Andrea Tenenti, a front man for the U.N. peacekeeping for known as UNIFIL, said peacekeepers are on the ground working to decrease tension in the area.
"We have urged the parties to utilize our coordination mechanisms effectively to prevent misunderstandings, violations, and contribute to the preservation of stability in the area," Tenenti said. He added that UNIFIL leadership is in contact with the parties, seeking a solution.
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