Jerusalem
TODAY is the 9th of Av, the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, commemorating the destruction of both the first and second temples. Last night I walked to the Wailing Wall in a quiet, solemn parade of several hundred, protected by a police cordon. Given the war in Lebanon and the rhetoric of Hezbollah's Iranian patron, it is an appealing journalistic conceit to suggest that thoughts of yet another Jewish disaster can't be too far from the minds of most Israelis right now, but that is not really how it is here.

The night before last I was at a small bar when one of the departing patrons wished the bartender, a barrel-chested guy in his mid-20s, a good night and added, "Hey man, I hope you get called up." "Thanks," said the bartender cheerfully, "I appreciate it." Did he mean that he hopes you get called for reserve duty, I asked. "Yes," the bartender explained. "Everyone really wants to do their part in what's going on right now."

It has been curious these last three weeks to follow the ongoing press narratives: On one hand, there is the "Israel" constructed by the media, a country divided, fearful and unsure of itself and its capacity to fight; and then there is the press version of "Lebanon," where "disproportionate" Israeli bombing has driven all the Lebanese into the warm embrace of the Islamic resistance.

It is worth remembering the young Lebanese Forces members who explained some months ago how

The young LF people idolize their za'im, Samir Geagea, even though, among other bloody acts, Geagea is believed responsible for the 1978 assassination of Tony Franjieh, his wife, and daughter. In contrast, My bartender, who served in Gaza last year where the Palestinian factions repeatedly used human shields, did everything possible to avoid hurting civilians, especially children. "You want to protect yourself," he says, "but you can't fire if you see a kid. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I hit a kid."

Clearly Hezbollah, like the Palestinian groups, uses human shields. We do not know precisely what happened at Qana and may never know for sure, but it is likely that we have reached a stage where the IDF believes itself damned regardless of how it regards civilian life, which makes things worse for Lebanese civilians, easier for Israeli troops, and will likely have no effect at all on the international media campaign that Israel has already lost.

AND YET Israel seems to be gaining in another of the war's psychological battles. There's been some mention lately of Israel's psy-ops campaign against Hezbollah: hacking into the telephone system and interrupting Al-Manar broadcasts with messages warning of Nasrallah's impending death. But the most significant Israeli victory to date has largely been overlooked. Hassan Nasrallah, the man whom large sections of the Western press claim without any evidence is more popular now than ever, has been sent underground and will not ever publicly ascend to the real world again in safety. Nasrallah will never again be able to lead a rally of thousands without knowingly endangering the lives of everyone shouting along with him. It is sadly indicative of the state of regional politics that the most charismatic Arab leader since Nasser has been, as Martin Kramer puts it, bin Ladenized.