Wrote this together with Brenda Gazzar.

In any future conflict with Hizbullah, Israel will likely cite the Shi’ite group’s increasing influence within the Lebanese cabinet as a legitimate reason to target Lebanon’s entire infrastructure, government sources have told The Jerusalem Post.

In the Second Lebanon War, the IAF did target some of Lebanon’s infrastructure but was asked to stop by the US and others.

According to assessments in Israel, Hizbullah’s influence over Lebanese politics is expected to grow, and it is set to gain at least two more cabinet posts in elections next spring – likely the Interior Ministry and, as a remote possibility, the defense portfolio. Continue reading →