IRAN in Lebanon Over Sheba'a Farms; General killed by IDF; Hizbullah Offensive?

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                

Tension has been very high along Israel's borders with Syria and Lebanon since the reported Israeli air strike on January 18th in Syria's Quneitra region that killed high-level Hizbullah terrorist operatives and a general of the Iranian Revolutionary guards,  Gen. Mohammed Ali Allah Dadi, along with noted Hezbollah operative, Jihad Mughniyeh.  

Netanyahu promised to respond to the Hizbullah attack "with force," and warned Hizbullah to look at Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip last summer as an example.  (The Media Line, Jewish Press Staff resource. )
                                                                         

Tuesday, January 27, 2015,  2 rockets were fired from Syria into the Golan Heights in retaliation for Israel's recent airstrike in the Golan Heights. -  Hizbollah terrorists took responsibility.
                                                                                   

On January 28, 2015 the Israeli army patrol was on the Lebanese border near the  Havot Sheba'a Farms, also Har Dov,  and came under anti-tank fire from Hizbullah operatives in Lebanon.  Israel responded with artillery and air strikes in southern Lebanon. "The land involved  is a small strip of disputed land at the intersection of the Lebanese-Syrian border and the Israeli Golan Heights. The territory is about 11 kilometres (7 mi) long and 2.5 kilometres (2 mi) wide. Syria had control by the 1950's.  In 1981, Shebaa Farms was annexed by Israel as part of the Golan Heights, a move not recognized by the international community, but it had come to Israel through the 1967 War against Israel where Israel had won.  All that time, Israel had been bombarded from the Golan Heights.   "Hezbollah claimed that the withdrawal was not complete because Shebaa was on Lebanese - not Syrian - territory.  After studying 81 different maps, the United Nations concluded that there is no evidence of the abandoned farmlands being Lebanese." 
                                                                           

7 wounded IDF solders were tended to and  2 IDF were killed in the attack.  This took place near Mount Dov.
                                                                         
Hizbullah positions were in the town of Al-Majid.  They took responsibility saying that its Quneitra Martyrs Unit targeted the IDF military convoy.

A UN peacekeeper from Spain was also killed in the heavy exchange of fire after the incident happened.

"Some Israeli officials believe a deadly anti-tank rocket attack on IDF forces last Wednesday, January 28th  on the Lebanon border by Hezbollah was originally intended to be the opening salvo of a far-larger Iranian-backed operation against Israel in February and March, and was not “merely” a revenge attack for the Israeli air strike."

"All parties are strongly urged to continue to abide by their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701," Kaag said of the resolution that put an end to the 2006 summer war between Lebanon and Israel. 

Resource:  The Jewish Press, January 30, 2015 page 3; Two Israeli Soldiers Killed Along Lebanese Border
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Jan-28/285581-blasts-reported-along-the-israeli-lebanese-border-israeli-media.ashx
http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/02/02/senior-iranian-defense-official-vows-to-settle-score-with-israel-over-general-killed-in-idf-strike/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebaa_farms

Israel's Northern Border Neighbor; the New Lebanon

When I think of Lebanon, I remember Major Saad Hadad, the Christian friend of Israel. He patrolled the border between Lebanon and Israel. When he was exhausted, he'd come into Israel and have some R & R at our army hospital. We promised him that if anything were to happen to him we would take in his family. That was back between 1980-1985. During that time his Christian militia soldiers went into a Muslim army base and slaughtered the men there. We were blamed for that, but really hadn't expected it to happen, I'm sure.

Now Lebanon has been taken over by Iran and their terrorists, the Hizbullah. Their President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit them next week. Lebanon is going all out in greeting him, and what is he looking forward to doing there? He plans on throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers on the border.

Lebanon does have Prime Minister Saad Hariri, but he has given into Iranian pressure. When he formed his goverment in 2009, the Iranians were given veto power over all his government decisions. What's worse, Hariri's father was murdered by Syrian and Hizbullah assassins in 2005.

Syria and Hizbullah demand that Hariri not pay attention to a UN investigation that will name the proper killers. On Monday Syria arrested 33 Lebanese friends of Hariri for "false testimonies to the UN". Now they're afraid that Hizbullah will attack Christian and Sunni soldiers of Lebanon. Hizbullah happens to be made up of Shiite terrorists.

Israel sees that Ahmadinejad's visit can have an effect on a war with Israel. The US regional power has waned. Our administration has given sympathy to Hizbullah which shows many that Iran will fight Israel with Hizbullah. Israel may have to take on not only Lebanon but also Syria as well. So we know that Ahmadinejad is not there for just a friendly visit. After all, his goal is to eradicate the Jewish people.

Resource: Caroline B. Glick: Ahmadinejad's target audience http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1010/glick100810.php3?printer_friendly

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20085062,00.html

http://www.shalom-shalom-jerusalem.org/hezbollahroots.html, excellent read.

http://www.chameleonassociates.com/blog/2009/11/hezbollah/

Haifa's New ER at Rambam Hospital and Chemical Warfare

Providing Protection from Chemical Warfare

Nadene Goldfoot
In 1981 I fell down and broke my elbow after studying Hebrew all day and night for a big three hour long test that would seal my fate as to becoming an English teacher in Israel. I was taken to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where I was attending an ulpan. When I left the hospital, I took the test with a huge cast on my arm and even though I was running a fever, passed.

In the summer of 2006 the hospital was one of hundreds of civilian targets that were under fire by the terrorists in the 2nd Lebanon War.

Today they dedicated a new $14 million emergency facility that provides protection from missiles and chemical weapons that may be in Hizbullah's possession. The new emergency room includes a secure underground hospital for 1,730 patients, a children's hospital and facilities for cancer care and for cardiac treatment, and a tower for clinical research. when completed this ER will be more than three times larger than the previous facility. It will cover 3/4 of an acre with the ability to treat 650 patients at the same time. Prof. Rafi Beyar is the Rambam Health Care Campus Director.

The government provided 1/4 of the construction costs. Private donors and organizations provided the rest.

Reference: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type-0&item=134086 arutz sheva IsraelNationalNews.com