Welcome back to the Martha Wood Show. Even after a costly and devastating war, the threat to Israel’s security from its neighbours remains as real as ever. Israel says it will have to fight again unless Hezbollah cedes all its weapons, including its arsenal of kitchen appliances. With me here is Mark Bernstein from the Washington Defence Institute. “Mark, what is this all about?
“Let me first set one thing straight, Martha. Israel isn’t asking for Hezbollah’s knives and forks as some people say. That’s pure propaganda. What Israel wants is for Hezbollah to open its kitchens to international inspection. We have reports that Hezbollah is hiding gunpowder in flour sacks, detonators in radio receivers, and rocket launchers in kitchen cabinets. Israel is not questioning the right of Hezbollah to use its kitchens for peaceful purposes. But it wants to make sure that the infrastructure of terror this group has accumulated over the years is dismantled once and for all. Hezbollah has been known to mix its weaponry with kitchen supplies, which is very frustrating to international inspectors. The only thing the Israelis are asking for is for someone they trust to regularly check on Hezbollah’s kitchens. But for some reason, the Iranian-backed group is refusing to cooperate.
“Do you think Hezbollah is hiding something, or is it just the usual Arab bravado?
“In my opinion, it’s a political gimmick. Frankly, I don’t think Hezbollah has much left. Israel wrecked most of the terrorists’ infrastructure in the recent war. Over 80 percent of Hezbollah’s kitchens are now under thick layers of rubble. We’ve seen their gunmen line up at soup kitchens lately, drinking mint tea without sugar. This is not the kind of thing Hezbollah doesn’t want to talk about, nor would you see it on Aljazeera, but it’s true. Hezbollah is not what it used to be. At one post-war dinner, the one in which Nasrallah bragged about his so-called victory against Israel, his caterers couldn’t put together a complete set of cutlery for the guests. Anyone who wasn’t a top-notch dignitary had to eat with plastic knives and forks.
“Plastic forks. We all know what these can do in the wrong hands, don’t we?
“Hezbollah is a spent force, but it will keep on posturing. My guess is that it’s trying to score points for Syria and Iran. You see, the Syrians and Iranians don’t want to get inspected, and they know that as long as Hezbollah holds out, they’re safe.
“This seems like a very dangerous situation. Without inspection, there is no knowing what terrorists are up to in today’s world.
“You’re right. We need to look into every cupboard, under every sofa and inside every cushion. Without credible inspection, the world is not going to be a safe place. We need the cooperation of all moderates in the Arab world on this matter. So far, this cooperation has not been forthcoming. The thing is the Arabs like to keep things under wraps. I hate to sound biased, but this how things are. Look at how their girls are covered up. Look at how their windows are done in lattice. Tell me, when was the last time you’ve seen an Arab woman in bikinis? When was the last time you’ve seen an Arab dictator allowing free speech? That’s what we’re up against. Don’t get me wrong. The Arabs are generous people. You go to their homes and they’ll bend over backwards to make you feel welcome. But they’ll never let you into their kitchen. It’s hard to tell if they’re just shy or downright devious.
With us from Ramallah is Dr. Maged al-Sabaei, chief editor of Qudsuna. “Mr. Al-Sibaei, how do you view Hezbollah’s position on inspection?
“I will have to disagree with Mr. Bernstein, for it is obvious to me why Hezbollah is rejecting inspection. Let’s go back a few years in history. The Iraqis agreed to let inspectors in and for ten or twelve years they were thoroughly inspected. What happened to them afterwards? Take another example, the Iranians agreed to inspection, and where are they now? Well, they still face sanctions and possible military strikes. Inspection is getting a bad name in this part of the world. Many see it simply as a prelude to further trouble. I will gladly have international guests over to my home, as Mr. Bernstein kindly pointed out, but I wouldn’t let them into my kitchen. I for one don’t want to be inspected. You have to have trust before you can have inspection.
“Mark, which comes first, inspection or trust, briefly please?
“I am afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, Martha. I believe that inspection is necessary for trust. But there are many in the Arab world, including moderates such as Dr. al-Sibaei, who are willing to argue that inspection is just the thin edge of the wedge. It’s a serious difference, and I don’t see it being resolved anytime soon.
“Maged al-Sibaei from Ramallah and Mark Bernstein from the Washington Defence Institute, thank you both. After the break, Italian coffee is keeping people awake in Saudi Arabia. We’ll be back.
