The Prisoners of Lebanon

By the time I completed my mandatory service, Israel had begun a gradual and painful withdrawal into a security zone in southern Lebanon. And Iran took advantage of Lebanon's chaos to build up, arm and train Hezbollah, which in turn inflicted major losses on our forces. In 2000, Prime Minister Ehud Barak withdrew our troops from Lebanon -- and the rocket attacks and terrorist raids on our north returned.

Like many Israelis, I am angry. And like others who opposed the war in Lebanon and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, I believe that this war -- in which we fight to defend our internationally recognized borders and the cities and villages of the Jewish state -- is the most morally unambiguous conflict our country has ever faced.

But being angry can make you feel 26 again. It can cloud your judgment and make you do foolish things. I can only hope that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will not fall victim to the same fantasies that sent me and so many other soldiers to Lebanon. In Lebanon's unending political vacuum, no government can be strong and decisive. That's why the country has been a pawn that the stronger countries around it have so willingly sacrificed. Absent a multinational campaign against Iran and Syria, Israel cannot permanently prevent southern Lebanon from serving as a forward base for enemy forces. Instead, Israel must use force every few years to push back the enemy, knowing that once we leave, our foes will return and rearm.

When I made my little protest run against the war in Lebanon, my problem was not that Israel had placed my life in danger to protect our northern border and destroy Palestinian guerrilla bases. After all, that is a soldier's job.

But I was trained in the use of deadly weapons, and experienced enough to know that once you decide to shoot, you can never truly predict how the engagement will end. Force should be used only to achieve clearly defined, realistic goals.

My oldest son is scheduled to enlist in a few months. If Israel's leaders aren't careful, he, too, may spend most of his service in Lebanon. If he does, I hope his officers won't let him run alone through dangerous territory. Of course, the Hannibal drill will still be there if he's captured. But no Hannibal drill is effective enough to rescue the state of Israel if it once again falls hostage to Lebanese delusions.

haim@haimwatzman.com

Haim Watzman served in the Israeli army from 1982 to 2002 and is author of "Company C: An American's Life as a Citizen-Soldier in Israel" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).