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Special Edition: Bringing context
12 helpful links on Israel, Lebanon and Iran
Crystal Andrews
October 06, 2024
Choosing my words carefully here... During the week as part of my own ongoing learning, I sat down to unpack a piece of content published by an Australian media outlet about Israel expanding its war to Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran. The level of bias and crucially misleading omissions was shocking, among the worst I’ve seen in the past 12 months. I am absolutely not an expert in the interconnected histories of the Middle East nations (nor do I expect every other journalist to be), but this piece of content did not fall down at the complexities – it failed by excluding big chunks of basic, necessary information.
Yes, this new phase of Israel’s war brings a whole new set of context to get your head around. No, the vast majority of in-the-moment news reporting on this won’t help you – there is too much assumed knowledge (this is true on news reporting in general, not just on the Middle East).
Learning about what has happened in the past is so helpful for understanding the why behind present events. So sharing some of the links that have made the picture much clearer for me.
Above all, though: there is no historical context that justifies genocide or apartheid. None.
If there is a specific question you’re struggling to find an answer to, feel free to email me – if I’ve seen anything that addresses it, I’ll happily send you the link.
On Israel and Lebanon:
Israel has invaded Lebanon six times in the past 50 years – a timeline of events
This timeline starts in the 1970s – there is of course even more history before this, but starting here gives you the gist of what immediately led up to the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It ends with the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, which lasted 33 days, but keep in mind that attacks, retaliation and violence have continued since then right up until… well, now.
Israel-Hezbollah conflict in maps: Where is fighting happening in Lebanon?
A big caveat for this piece: It’s the clear maps and charts that are most helpful here. I wouldn’t bother with reading the text itself (there are a few red flags in it), but found it helpful to see the borders, volume and location of attacks all on one page.
The history of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel
This timeline includes a bit more of the political aspect and how this ties into conflicts in Palestine and Syria.
On Israel and Iran:
Iran’s retaliatory attack against Israel, briefly explained
Pretty straight rundown of what just happened, including some context about the political and economic situation within Iran.
How Iran and Israel became archenemies
Also straightforward overview of the background, highlighting how a good relationship turned sour with the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran: “Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted, and the new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, pursued a policy of standing up to "arrogant" world powers. During his regime, the United States became known in Iran as the "Great Satan," and Israel as the "Little Satan."
On Hezbollah:
How Hezbollah holds sway over the Lebanese state
A paper on how Hezbollah works within Lebanon and what it's trying to do. The report is broken down into chapters with subcategories, all clickable so easy to navigate. Summary at the start will catch you up the quickest.
Does Hezbollah represent Lebanon? And what impact will the death of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah have?
Some helpful details on the structure of Hezbollah, the connection to Iran, and how the public has felt about the group over time. “Hezbollah’s budget, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Iran's 'Axis Of Resistance': Different Groups, Same Goals
You’ll see the name ‘axis of resistance’ used in a lot of coverage. This piece gives a short summary of the groups considered part of the ‘axis’, all helping Iran mount a resistance against the Western power and influence of the U.S. (and, therefore, Israel) in the Middle East.
Some other useful bits:
Why we need to talk about ‘state terrorism’ by Israel in Gaza
Great piece questioning the way we use the word ‘terrorism’ solely to describe atrocities committed by non-state actors (like, for example, Hamas and Hezbollah). When state actors do the exact same things (like, for example, Israel), why don’t we use the word terrorism?
There’s No Such Thing as Escalating to De-Escalate
Looming in the background of the current news cycle is the topic of nuclear weapons. This piece explains the origins of the ‘escalating to de-escalate’ concept, an American idea that would supposedly deter Russia from starting a nuclear war. This is the strategy that Israel says it is using. There are nine countries that have nuclear weapons (including Israel and the US). Iran has nuclear facilities that it is less than transparent about, but does not make nuclear weapons – in 2000 Iran’s Supreme Leader issued a ban on nuclear weapons, but this year said he would
Explainer: The Dahiya Doctrine & Israel’s Use of Disproportionate Force
The brutal targeting of civilians is a deliberate strategy by the IDF, known as the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, which originated in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Lebanon: Israeli Strikes Kill Hundreds as Hostilities Escalate
Human Rights Watch reporting on the international laws being broken and war crimes likely committed in this most recent escalation: “The presence of a Hezbollah commander, rocket launcher, or other military facility in a populated area does not justify attacking the area without regard to the civilian population, including the duty to distinguish combatants from civilians and adhere to the rule of proportionality.”