What Did He Say
IDF changes approach to Lebanon army
Following last week's deadly exchange of fire on northern border, IDF says incident was just straw that broke camel's back after series of aggressions, orders forces to respond firmly to any violation of calm by 'treacherous' Lebanese army
Hanan Greenberg
Exactly a week after the exchange of fire on Israel's northern border, the IDF decided to change its approach to the Lebanese army. After the incident, Yossi Heiman, head of the Division for Strategic Planning and Foreign Relations in the Planning Directorate, told the Lebanese chief of staff as well as senior UNIFIL figures that Israel would now respond harshly to all aggressive moves – four times more severely than it had done before the incident.
Until the incident, soldiers on the other side of the fence were considered to be contributing to stability together with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). During previous years, IDF soldiers have operated near the international border ("the blue line") a very short distance from the Lebanese soldiers and never felt threatened. In fact, there was even a certain level of trust between the armies, which sometimes met under UNIFIL auspices.
We will respond harshly to aggressive moves- four times more severely than before?
What in the world does this mean, we will file four times as many complaints with UNIFIL?
Does anyone speak in easy to understand language any more?
Let's try this as a test case.
IDF to Lebanon army, if you cross this point on the map, will will kill you. If you take arms against us we are at war and we will destroy your nation and then salt the fields.
Then if pushed do it.
My way is much easier to understand.
