Lebanon Skirmish Update

Mike Rivero weighs in with some important points -

This road represents the border between Israel (to the right) and Lebanon (to the left). This is the border as defined by the United Nations following the last invasion of Lebanon by Israel. Israel has every legal right to so whatever they wish to their side of that border (the land stretching off the right side of the frame). They have no legal right to do anything at all to the land or trees on the Lebanese side of the border without permission. And, Lebanon informed Israel, twice, that Lebanon would not allow Israel to remove or otherwise alter the trees on Lebanon's side of the border. Israel went ahead and did so anyway, uprooting a tree on the Lebanese side of the border, supposedly because it blocked the view of a surveillance camera.

The reports are that the Lebanese military fired warning shots over the heads of the Israelis, and the Israelis retaliated with gun and artillery fire. Five people are dead, three Lebanese military, a reporter and one Israeli officer.

The point is that this is hardly an "Ambush." The Israelis knew they were someplace they were not supposed to be, and that the Lebanese military knew they were there and had refused permission for Israel to remove the tree. It was a provocation, and Netanyahu calling it am ambush is the usual Israeli attempt at blaming the victim in order to avoid responsibility for their own behavior.