Israel Strikes Lebanon Post-Ceasefire, Pundits Call It 'Self-Defense'
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed outrage after Israeli strikes killed one civilian, hitting 'civilian installations' (Al-Monitor). Aoun questioned Israel's intent to expand operations post-Gaza ceasefire. One might wonder if 'ceasefire' increasingly functions as a strategic pause for Israel to redraw maps, much like the 2006 Lebanon war followed a period of intense provocations, and
subsequent 'ceasefires' have routinely been exploited for further territorial gains in various theaters, all while Washington ensures billions in unimpeded annual military aid continues flowing, regardless of how those 'civilian installations' are defined for defense purposes. The State Department, meanwhile, can be expected to issue a carefully worded statement urging 'restraint from all sides,'
(a classic line that appears after almost every Israeli military action), while ensuring Congress quietly approves the next tranche of missile defense systems for Israel. The audacity to call attacks on civilian sites 'self-defense' after a 'ceasefire' begs the question: How many 'defensive' offenses can one nation mount? Perhaps the 3.8 billion dollars in annual U.S. aid (OpenSecrets.org) comes
with a bulk discount on 'justification' semantics.