Jul
Hezbollah, Israel prisoner swap conjures up memories of war, land disputes
PHOTO: Lebanese youth hoist up Hezbollah flag. Paul Keller, flickr.
Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah swapped the remains of Israeli soldiers captured in a summer war two years ago for five Lebanese prisoners held by Israel.
Shortly after being released, the five Lebanese prisoners prayed at a slain Hezbollah leader’s grave, vowing to continue their fight against Israel. The prisoner release was negotiated over 18 months by a German official appointed by the UN.
Is this exchange a signal that relations could be on a more peaceful path? The 34-day war that killed 1,200 Lebanese and 159 Israelis was a stunning disintegration of whatever civility might have existed between the two countries.
What it comes down to is an issue of land. These two countries might have achieved some temporary semblance of peace by exchanging prisoners and remains. The reason they fight, however, is about disputed real estate. Until they sit down and talk in earnest about borders, it’s unclear whether the tense peace that exists now can last.
