Friends,
The intensity of back-and-forth fire on Israel’s northern border has continued to spiral these past few weeks, with some analysts warning that a full-scale Israel-Hezbollah war is “becoming inevitable” if the current path continues.
The outbreak of another front is a clear threat to Israel’s security, a disaster for US interests and – most of all – a catastrophic risk for the millions of civilians who would be caught in the crossfire.
A full-scale war could see Hezbollah exhausting Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling interceptors within a few days, exposing Israel to thousands of rockets and missiles. Likewise, Israel’s military power could inflict massive damage in Lebanon, a country gripped by political paralysis and in the throes of a debilitating economic crisis.
This Thursday at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific, I’ll be joined by three highly experienced experts to discuss the risk of escalation, what a full-scale war might look like, and what can be done to stop it. Register here to join us >>
I can think of no better panel to discuss this escalating risk and how the Biden Administration can navigate this moment to achieve its core strategic goal of preventing this conflict spiraling further:
- Hanin Ghaddar is a Lebanese journalist, Washington Institute Senior Fellow and author of Hezbollah Land.
- Eran Etzion is a former Deputy Head of Israel’s National Security Council and founder of the Israel Center for Strategic Futures.
- Bruce Riedel is a former CIA analyst who is a Brookings Institute Senior Fellow and professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded thousands of rockets and missiles on a near-daily basis since October 8, when Hezbollah launched opportunistic attacks on Israeli targets in the Israel-Lebanon-Syria border region, claiming to be acting “in solidarity” with Palestinians.
The conflict has produced far-reaching consequences: Over 150,000 civilians displaced in northern Israel and southern Lebanon; Hezbollah rocket barrages targeting northern towns and igniting fires; drone strikes against Israeli military bases; substantial damage to Lebanese villages; and military and civilian casualties on both sides.
The risks of further escalation would inflict a toll orders of magnitude worse. On Tuesday, I look forward to speaking with Hanin, Eran and Bruce for their analysis. As always, we’ll take your questions for our experts as well.
Please register to join us this Thursday >>
I hope to see you then!
All the best,
Dr. Debra Shushan
Director of Policy, J Street
PS. Check out the J Street Policy Center’s new issue brief, which examines the Israel-Hezbollah escalation in the context of Hezbollah’s history and conflict with Israel and offers key policy recommendations for the Biden Administration.
