There’s been a lot of argument about whether Israel or Hezbollah won the war in Lebanon.
Here is a comment from Haaretz which pretty much sums up recent events in the Lebanon war. The comment matches Israel’s stated goals against the actual outcome. It looks like a draw, at a very high cost to both sides.
Israeli Goals
- Get release of IDF soldiers without a prisioner exchange. Failure
- Disarm Hezbollah. Failure
- Avoid civilian casualties. Almost 1,000 women and children dead. Failure
- Destroy rockets. 250 landed yesterday alone. Failure
- Win international support. Outside the USA Israel is hated more than ever before. Failure
- Moderate Arab behavior. More arabs hate israel more than ever now including moderate states like egypt, jordan, and saudi arabia. Failure
Outcome
- Hezzbolah is more popular than ever
- The war cost Israel hundreds of millions of dollars.
- The pro USA, anti Syrian/anti Hezzbolah PM is weakened.
- Hatred for israel is at an all time high even among suni and christians in Lebanon
- Many Israeli towns damaged badly
- 150 Israelis dead. Hundred injured.
Conclusion
Hezbolah did not win the war but Israel definitely didn`t either. There should have been a prisioner swap from the beginning.