Strategic Assessment

The State of Israel failed in the Second Lebanon War because it targeted the wrong enemy: Israel fought against Hizbollah instead of fighting against the Republic of Lebanon. This article argues that pitted against Hizbollah, a terrorist organization benefiting from state sponsorship, Israel must change its strategy and fight the sponsoring state if and when the next war erupts. Serious damage to the Republic of Lebanon can influence Hizbollah’s behavior more than anything else. Israel must convey this message and its intention both clearly and immediately.