It looks obvious

Hassan Nasrallah’s statement on Sunday that he wouldn’t order the Israeli soldiers abductions would he know the Israeli reaction is very interesting. It also demonstrates that terms, such as victory and defeat, aren’t binary. Israel’s inability to achieve its goals, and even the fact that the Hezbullah wasn’t defeated, isn’t by definition a Hezbullah victory.

Nasrallah’s statement coming in a time of growing pressure in Lebanon to disarm the Hezbullah and to complete the Lebanese extraordinarily revival, that started with pushing the Syrian out of Lebanon. Although war’s victory, mostly in the middle east, is a meter of perception the actual results fueling anger and criticism toward the Hezbullah. However it isn’t only the horrifying damage cause by war but also the growing concern in the Arab world from the Shiite axis, Teheran in one end and Hezbullah at the other with the Iraqi Shiite in the middle, with potential nuclear ability that might build more pressure to break the Hezbullah stronghold in Lebanon.

Aware of these nuances and not blinded by perceptions of victory Nasrallah have to maintain his achievements and power. Therefore in one hand he is spending money to rebuild portions of South Lebanon and appear as pragmatic and reasonable leader and in the other hand mocking the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan,  and appear as the only Arab leader that able to stand against the west and to win.

The common interests between the Arab world, Israel and the forces in Lebanon that strive for normalization might be strong enough to change the reality in the Middle East. Although Israel failed to accomplish its operational goals in this war it might be able to obtain its strategic intentions.