Lebanon ceasefire “fiery” but “mostly peaceful”

Israeli tanks leaving Meiss al Jabal, Southern Lebanon, Dec. 4, 2024. Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90.

by Daniel Greenfield

(JNS) — Is it a ceasefire if the fire has not ceased?

A question from an era where words actually mattered and journalism didn’t consist of copying White House and Brookings Institute press releases.

“Hezbollah and Israel Trade Fire, Further Testing Cease-Fire” — The New York Times.

“Why Israel and Hezbollah Are Still Firing Amid a Lebanon Cease-Fire” — The New York Times.

It’s not as if the Brits, who are supposed to care about the English language, are any better.

“Israel strikes and Hezbollah mortar fire strain Lebanon ceasefire” — BBC.

“Israeli and Hezbollah strikes test limits of ceasefire” — BBC.

The limit of the ceasefire, one would think, is that the firing must cease. If the firing has not ceased, it is not a ceasefire; it is an ex-ceasefire, as a certain show that once appeared on the Beeb might have pointed out.

But there was never a ceasefire.

In the Middle East, “ceasefire” is most often understood to mean: “Hah, the infidels have ceased firing on us because of their cowardice, let us attack them at once!”

That’s pretty much how these ceasefires work.

Israel stopped pressing its advantage against Hezbollah in Lebanon due to maximum pressure from the Biden administration. Hezbollah responded by doing what Islamic terrorists do and crossed the Litani River (a violation of the ceasefire), began taking up positions, setting up rocket launchers and preparing to attack. Israel responded, and lots of firing began again… testing the limits of a ceasefire which after four days had kicked the bucket, shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible.

So according to the media, it’s a fiery but mostly peaceful ceasefire, which is the only kind you can have with Islamic terrorists, Marxists, career criminals and assorted other enemies of humanity to whom peace is an open door to do their worst. That’s why it’s best to avoid fiery peaceful ceasefires in favor of just winning wars.

Daniel Greenfield is an Israeli-born journalist who writes for conservative publications.