THE TABLET

THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY FOUNDED IN 1840

JUST WAR

ISRAEL’S MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

It is not easy to discern the outlines of Israel’s strategy behind its assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and almost impossible to see what its moral and legal justification might be. The doctrine of “hot pursuit” – that one may chase one’s enemies into a neighbour’s territory – can hardly explain why Israel has declared war on the bank where Hezbollah keeps its money, wiping out branch after branch of the local offices of Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), including in south Beirut. AQAH provides financial services to many members of Lebanon’s Shia community. No doubt western bank customers will note that many high street bank branches have not needed the threat of an Israel bomb through the roof to close them: the switch to online banking has done that just as effectively. Did Israel not think of that?

The targeting of banks raises a further doubt about the legitimacy of Israel’s tactics in Lebanon. In its fight with Hamas in Gaza, legitimacy was given by the doctrine of selfdefence. Israel had been attacked and its civilians brutally murdered. The only way to ensure this did not happen again, Israel argued, was to eliminate Hamas by killing its members and destroying its military infrastructure. This supplied a benchmark by which to judge whether Israeli actions satisfied the critical judicial and moral criteria of proportionality. Israel argued that it did, and that the deaths of 40,000 Palestinians in the process was unintended and unfortunate collateral damage, for which Hamas – by its failure to lay down its arms and return the Israeli hostages it has held since 7 October 2023 – was entirely responsible.

The watching world has become increasingly doubtful about that argument. The operation in Lebanon undermines it completely. The elimination of Hamas might have been conceivable as a military goal. The elimination of Hezbollah is not. It is too large, too highly motivated, too well equipped, too well integrated into the Lebanese Shia community – as the banks run by AQAH illustrate – and, above all, too vital to Iran’s interests to be destroyed by Israeli military action.

Hence there is no benchmark against which to measure whether the harm caused to civilians by its operation is proportionate or not, and that excuse for the death of civilians is invalid. When Benjamin Netanyahu told the Lebanese people that if they did not like what Israel was doing to their country they should rise up and expel Hezbollah from their midst, it sounded like an attempt to provoke another Lebanese civil war. For that is what it would take. But this was also a tacit acceptance of the impossibility of the mission that Netanyahu had given the Israel Defence Forces.

There is a double irony here. Hezbollah has said it will not stop its rocket bombardment of northern Israel until a ceasefire in Gaza is agreed. And a ceasefire in Gaza is also what the United Nations, the United States, Great Britain and the European Union have been calling for, while running into endless prevarication from the increasingly isolated Israeli government. Probably only the United States could untie this knot. But American politicians would have to be far tougher with Israel than they have been so far. Perhaps that could change after the presidential election. It certainly needs to.

DEATH OF A POP STAR

PLAYING WITH FIRE

The death of Liam Payne raises important questions about the emotional vulnerability of young pop stars, often adrift amid the fame and fortune that stardom brings. Like Icarus, he seems to have flown too close to the sun. But his death in Buenos Aires, after falling from a hotel balcony, has opened up a wider concern about mental health and the music industry. The industry can be considerate and compassionate, and some people have taken the issue seriously. But others lack the duty of care they ought to feel, treating stars as commodities to be exploited in the pursuit of profit.

There is another element in the equation: human nature itself. A tragic streak of self-destructiveness can sometimes defy every effort to help. The sad story of Amy Winehouse, one of the most brilliant singer–songwriters of her generation, was epitomised by the lyrics of one of her hit songs: “They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no.” She died aged 27 after struggling with alcoholism, substance abuse and bulimia. She was not the only music artist who could not cope with the life she led, but it is by no means certain she could have coped much better with any other kind.

Liam Payne was a central figure in the boy band One Direction, which was put together by the musical entrepreneur Simon Cowell who spotted his potential, and that of other members of the group, on a TV talent show. A sense of vulnerability was one of their selling points. They quickly attracted a huge international following, and Payne, who seemed to combine innocence and sensitivity with warmth, humour and good looks, was felt to be the very model of an ideal boyfriend for millions of teenage girls. Mental vulnerability often attracts teenagers who have their own demons, and pop music can provide a kind of therapy.

The extraordinary success of Taylor Swift lies partly in her ability to articulate the mysterious and sometimes highly fraught world of adolescent relationships. Society massively contributes to young people’s hopes and fears by the way it shapes their expectations of happiness and fulfilment. It is not just pop songs. It is the wider culture.

Stardom can bring enormous pressure to bear on young people who have not yet acquired the maturity that might enable them to cope with it. It is often a lonely life, full of temptations and without barriers or rules. There are parallel hazards for young professional sports stars, who do not always have good managers, coaches and agents to safeguard and steer them through the emotional fires that could engulf them. Record companies and the entertainment industry have a responsibility to provide support to young people. Even so, they will not always succeed.

2 | THE TABLET | 26 OCTOBER 2024

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