17-Jun-13: Memo to those who still think Hezbollah is some form of distant and far-off threat

Hezbollah: On the march

If there is one single factor that explains why we write this blog, it's that having gone through the horror of our child being murdered (murdered, murdered, murdered, murdered... the word has never for a moment lost its power to stop us in our tracks), we feel the need to turn to others and say: This happens, and the people doing it want it to happen to many more people.

It's hard to say we have a better understanding than others do of the process that turns individuals into jihadists and terrorists of other kinds. We probably don't. Nor do we claim, even for a moment, to be smarter or better informed. We have simply learned to take these things seriously.

Others, we are reminded every time we look at news and analysis from all over the world and from our own country as well, don't. At least, not seriously enough.

And we now have much less patience for the self-serving nonsense that is constantly served up by ill-informed and/or ideologically-driven reporters and their editors. You know, the utter rubbish about how we need to get down to "root causes", to understand the "desperation" that brings people to do whatever the latest atrocity is, to apologize for the occupation or the prosperity of the alienation or whatever alleged trigger is top of their list of concerns and accusations.

This brings us to a startling article in Haaretz that went up in the last few hours: "Out of Iran, into Africa: Hezbollah's scramble for Africa", by Eli Karmon of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel. The subtitle conveys what he wants us to know: "Across East and West Africa, Iranian and Lebanese nationals have been arrested in connection with Hezbollah-related terrorist activities. What is Hezbollah – and Iran - building in Africa, and why?"

Because it can be hard to get people to read full-length articles, and especially about obscure dimensions of the incomprehensible Middle East and its neverending conflicts, here's the key quote:

In the event of an acute diplomatic or military crisis in the Gulf arising from tensions relating to Iran's nuclear efforts, Iran and Hezbollah, its proxy, could easily use the African continent for attacks against American and European targets there or as a platform for operations in Europe itself. At a time when the European Union appears so hesitant in designating Hezbollah, or even its "military branch", as a terrorist organization, it is no wonder that countries such as India, Thailand, Bulgaria or Cyprus do not dare compel Iran, and Hezbollah, to pay the diplomatic and political price for their deadly activities. Europe is setting a poor example not only to its members but to the international community as a whole.

We have much more to say about Hezbollah, but not now. It's enough if our readers will focus on the brief quote in the previous para. On the other hand, if Karmon's analysis speaks to you, please read more about those murderous Islamists here.