Entangled in Southern Lebanon : Israel, Iran, Syria and Hizbollah (sic Hezbollah)

Abstract

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 and 1982 with the intention of destroying the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) infrastructure. Hizbollah filled the vacuum that was created by the removal of the PLO. In an effort to neutralize Hizbollah and obtain a secure northern border, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has undertaken many military operations that have appeared to be counter-productive. These operations have only served as a catalyst for "tit for tat" battles between the IDF and Hizbollah. The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze why Israel's military efforts in southern Lebanon have failed to achieve a secure and peaceful northern border and argue that the time is ripe to end the Israeli-Lebanon conflict via a diplomatic solution.