Media is often biased towards events that can be unerringly set in time and space. “A bomb exploded in Jerusalem on Sunday at 10:00 AM,” makes a perfect headline; it is so straightforward that even Google can’t make mistakes while translating it. Yet, occasionally dramatic events span long periods of time and extensive areas. When that happens, they are diluted in the hefty rain of trivial news and are often forgotten until a bomb explodes right on them. Step by step, in 2012, we are witnessing a consolidation of a land border between Iran and Israel. The first is making long-term social investments on the northern side of the border, while the latter is burying itself under yet another wall. Right now, everything is quiet along the Iranian-Israeli border; yet, dramatic changes are taking place.

Receding

UNIFIL Exercise
Southern Lebanon

The other receding force in the area is less obvious because it didn’t fall prey to a civil war. Yet, ongoing protests—for almost one year now—on its harsh social reality may change this soon. Meanwhile, Israel is weakening. Last month it began replacing the fence on its border with Lebanon with a 5 to 7 meter high cement wall between the Israeli town of Metulla and the Lebanese village of Kila; this is similar to what is happening along Israel’s border with Egypt (see Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty Gassed-Out). The new wall is at the place where a violent clash took place between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces, on August 3, 2010. Israel is in violent conflict with Lebanon since Operation Litani in 1978, when Israel penetrated Lebanese territory up to the Litani River (see map below). This part of the Lebanese territory is overseen by UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), which safeguards the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Following what looked like an invincible Israel in the early 1980s, the situation slowly changed to the extent that the 2006 armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah ended in a painful way for Israel. Until then, Israelis couldn’t imagine that Haifa could be reached by missiles. The 2010 border clash was no less surprising; the Lebanese army confronted the IDF as an equal. Now, Israel is burying itself under a new wall; Israel doesn’t want such bad publicity to be repeated.

Tannourine, Lebanon

Iran is often portrayed by Western media as a militaristic regime, despite having never declared a war against any other nation. The continuously improving relations between Iran and the West on nuclear issues (see West and Iran Step Closer to Agreement; Israel Worried and wait for the results of the Geneva talks scheduled for June), also prove the opposite. Instead of building walls, they are investing in civilian infrastructure. In 2006, Israel hit Beirut hard. Afterwards, the city’s flattened neighborhoods were rebuilt with Iranian funding and help. Hebrew media reported recently that talks are being held on the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the Christian-Lebanese village of Tannourine by Iran. In sharp contrast, Israel discriminates against its non-Jewish citizens while claiming it is the only democracy in the Middle East. Earlier this month, Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, Iran’s first vice president, visited Lebanon and offered to finance at least a dozen major projects. Adding to all these long-term Iranian links with the Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon—as well as the civilian infrastructure rebuilt with Iranian help—it is clear that Iran and Israel now have an informal land border between them, which may be seen as the Iranian answer to Israel’s second strike capabilities (see Six Million Submarines). Yet, in this complex picture of balances and counter-balances, Israel’s weight is obviously diminishing.