Israel Correspondent, New Republic
Israel Correspondent for The New Republic and Senior Fellow at the Shalem Center, a think-tank in Jerusalem
PROFILE
Yossi Klein Halevi
Guest
FROM Yossi Klein Halevi
To the Point
Forty Years after the Six-Day War On June 5, 1967, with Egyptian troops massed in the Sinai, Israel launched what's been called a war of self-defense. The conflict began when Israeli forces launched air strikes that destroyed much of Egypt's air power while it was still on the ground. Six days later, Israel had defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, and had captured territories that made the nation three times larger than it was when the war began. Social scientist Shibley Telhami and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the conflict that continues to drive daily politics in the Middle East today.
Which Way, L.A.?
Two Views of the Cease-fire in Lebanon The world's biggest story today is, of course, the cease-fire in Lebanon and what it will mean for the parties involved. While Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah declared a "strategic, historic victory" today, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was telling the Knesset a different story. He said the Israeli army had damaged Hezbollah's massive arsenal, its confidence and its capabilities. Meantime, despite a warning from Israel not to travel, tens of thousands of refugees jammed the roads into southern Lebanon today. Will Hezbollah disarm? Will it submit itself to the Lebanese army bolstered by international forces? Will Israel's new leadership survive? We get perspective from political scientists and journalists in Israel and Lebanon. (An extended version of this discussion originally aired earlier today on To the Point.
To the Point
How Long Can the Cease-fire in Lebanon Last? In the first few hours of the cease-fire, there were no Hezbollah rockets fired on northern Israel, and Israeli artillery fell silent for the first time in many days. There were reports of fighting in southern Lebanon, but refugees were streaming back into devastated towns despite Israel's ban on travel. At the UN, diplomats were struggling to put together a credible 15,000-person peace-keeping force to restrain both sides in a crisis that may not be over for some time to come. Both sides are claiming victory, but Israeli Prime Ehud Minister Olmert is under heavy criticism from the left and the right. Will Hezbollah willingly disarm under the watch of international peacekeepers?
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