Only way for Israeli northerners to return home is boots on ground in south Lebanon - editorial

When the people of Israel sat down with their family and friends for their High Holy Day dinners last year, nobody thought the year ahead would have been like this one.

Between the October 7 massacre, the ongoing captivity of more than 100 hostages in Gaza, the funerals of hundreds of soldiers, murdered hostages and civilians killed during the war, and the displacement of tens of thousands of residents, the country’s resilience has been stretched to its limits.

On Rosh Hashanah Eve 5785, the country is still under attack with rockets and missiles being fired from Lebanon on the North and Center. But after the year-long war of attrition with Hezbollah, the government and the army have taken the reins and are fighting back.

With the astonishing campaign to eliminate the upper echelon of Hezbollah’s leaders from Hassan Nasrallah on down and the unattributed exploding device attack that devastated an estimated 1,500 Hezbollah members, the terror group that has grown in size, confidence, and capability since the 2006 Second Lebanon War has been hit with a dizzying blow.

But, as we can see from the continued rocket fire, the only way to achieve a diplomatic solution that will enable the return of Israeli northerners to their homes is Israeli boots on the ground in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon incursion an issue of national consensus

It’s an issue of national consensus, with both government and opposition leaders expressing support for the IDF incursion into Lebanon, which began on Tuesday night.

The Democrats Party leader Yair Golan said, “A ground invasion of Lebanon is necessary to ensure that there is no Hezbollah presence south of the Litani River.” 

National Unity chairman MK Benny Gantz said that if a “strong and trustworthy” deal was not signed soon, Israel should invade Lebanon and “create facts on the ground” –  a sentiment supported by Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett wrote, “Enough is enough. Every IDF soldier who crosses the border fence into Lebanese soil knows that he is doing so to protect the citizens of Israel... The entire nation stands behind you.”

And even the United States, which had cautioned against the invasion, seems to understand the necessity of the move.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after speaking to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that “we agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities.”

With all diplomatic initiatives to achieve those goals stymied throughout the year by Hezbollah, and with most of the world uncaring and apathetic that Israel’s North has been largely uninhabitable for nearly a year, it’s clear that Israel was left with no alternative but its current path of warfare.

For many Israelis, the High Holy Days will be fraught with extra tension and anxiety with soldiers risking their lives in battle – in Gaza and now in Lebanon. Families are on tenterhooks praying for their well-being, and the ongoing heartbreaking and infuriating saga of the hostages is constantly tearing away at the fabric of our society.

This is the time to garner strength, recognize our fight is righteous, and support each other as we’ve done for the last year. And it’s time to remember that this too shall pass.

If that’s difficult to see amid the fear, sirens, and thoughts of our brothers and sisters in the tunnels, we recommend that everyone go out and buy some unripe fruit. It may seem like the most mundane of chores, but it’s the supreme act of faith.

It signifies that we expect to remain alive and well in a couple days’ time to enjoy the delicious bounty. And it also symbolizes how things change, no matter how imperceptibly.

We at The Jerusalem Post wish the IDF success in its sacred mission to defeat the terror threat in Lebanon. And we wish our readers a year in which we see peace restored to the country, the homecoming of all of the hostages held in Gaza, the return of all residents of the North to their homes, and a plethora of unripe fruit purchases.

Shanah tovah u’metuka.