Customer Reviews

34 Days: Israel, Hezbollah, and the War in Lebanon

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An insightful book, which appears to be modeled after Bob Woodard's "Bush at War" series, tackling the Lebanese War 2006 primarily from the the offices of the Israeli Prime Minister.

The book covers all aspects of the war from UN negotiation, events leading to the war, minimal details of what happened militarily during the war, and how it ended. The entire book moves chronologically: Prewar, war, Ceasefire, future.

I was looking for something providing details on the actual military excursion, but that was not forthcoming in this text.

I gave a 3 star rating because the book was confusing at times, jumping back and forth in time and place. So organization was a problem. As well, the focus on Olmert was annoying. I was not interested in why Omlert did this or Olmert did that. Many times, his actions were recorded which had only minimal relation to the war.

This is not a military study but a political study of a short war between a divided democratic government and a paramilitary political group Hezbollah with very limited support from the locals.

The problem often that democracies have is that they have too many decision makers. I am reminded of a general who said "With one leader, I can do wonders and with many nothing."

What seemed to have happened according to this book is that too many Israeli leaders went into Lebanon with different views on what was to be done. As the conflict progressed Israel kept changing the goal post. No where was an overall achievable objective goal made. As such Israeli troops were killed for nothing. As such to their credit officers in the Israeli army sometimes refused to carry out some of their orders. Since no achievable goal was established, Israel finally ended with what many argued was a defeat.

One point I was struck about in the book was a comment that no other government would have gone to war over the kidnapping of its soldiers. This saids much about Israel.

Another point the writers do not make through that should be made, is that no-one has kidnapped Israeli soldiers since and it also ended much of Hezbollah's independence in Lebanon so it was not as useless a conflict as the writers seem to feel.

However, the clear lesson from this book is that before going to war a country should have a unified leadership with an achievable aim.