The moral high ground

My friend Dave is spreading the good news that "the international response to the Israeli actions in Lebanon were much milder than expected." Jpost has the rest of the story:

[Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman] noted that in recent years there have been signs of a shift in the international view of Israel, with more countries expressing support of Israel.

When asked whether people were refraining from shaking his hand, he replied that the other diplomats shook his hands and even patted him on the back.

Why is The World supporting Israel's foray into Lebanon ? Two possible reasons:

1 - The World understands that Lebanon and Hezbollah have no argument with Israel. Israel left Lebanon six years ago, and during its 20-year occupation built no houses and approrpriated no land. Moreover, many Lebanonese workers and goods were permitted to cross uninhindered into Israel through the Good Fence.

2 - Retreating from Lebanon and the withdrawal from Gaza gave Israel something it hasn't had since 1973: The moral high ground. I could be wrong, but I think that the World is supporting Israel today because of the respect engendered by the two pull outs. Leaving Gaza and Lebanon won the world's respect because those moves conclusivly demonstrated Israel's willingness to uphold a universally recognized standard of justice.