INTERVIEW: Islamic Expert Analyzes Rising Threat of Hezbollah

This past May, I had the life changing experience of visiting Israel. It is deeply heartbreaking to watch all that is unfolding now. One of the trip’s leaders, Tom Trento of the United West, is an academic authority on Islamic extremism. He joined The American Spectator to discuss the Israel–Hamas war and the significance of jihad in Islam.

In Israel we visited Misgav Am, a northern kibbutz on the border of Lebanon. There, Col. Bady Dumitreseu gave a briefing on national security and the threat of the kibbutz’s terrorist neighbor, Hezbollah. Just across the border in Lebanon, civilian homes controlled by terrorists serve as a cover for Hezbollah. Often civilians live in the top floors of the houses while the basements store missiles and weapons. As Trento explained, “Those homes there are military bases for Hezbollah to destroy the northern part of Israel.”

Notably, Hezbollah builds tunnels that are used to sneak into Israel and harm or kidnap civilians. Trento had the opportunity to go more than halfway down the terrorist tunnels, which extend about 250 feet into the ground.

“The tunnels are designed for the Hezbollah fighters to sneak out, go into Misgav Am or any of the other little communities, steal a bunch of people, and do exactly what Hamas is doing now,” Trento explained. “Then, trade those people for an untold, ungodly amount of convicted terrorists. So yeah, it’s a mess up north right now.”

Suffice to say that, despite the claims of some in the media, civilian homes and areas are used by terrorist groups as human shields.

Trento explained that a quarter of a million Israeli residents in the north, including those of Misgav Am, have been evacuated as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battles Hamas in the south and risk of aggression from Hezbollah increases. Over the past few days, the IDF has been striking Hezbollah targets following a missile attack from Lebanon aimed at northern Israel. Should Hezbollah, a far bigger beast than Hamas, become more involved, the war would only escalate.

Source » spectator.org