‘We will have to fight them again’

24 March 2007

Edward Stourton has had unrivalled access to the protagonists in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Here, on the eve of the Winograd Commission’s report, he reveals what really happened in this conflict that nobody won

ES: You know the criticism that was made of the American position at that time, which was essentially that you were simply letting the Israelis have their head to achieve their aims, and that’s why you wouldn’t call for a ceasefire. Was there any truth in that?

JB: What was wrong with that?

ES: So that was the American position?

JB: Well, they had been attacked. They were responding.... The fact was that Israel was subject to a military threat from Hezbollah on a continuing basis, Hezbollah had committed an act of aggression, and Israel was acting in its own self-defence — and if reacting in its own self-defence meant defeating the enemy, that was perfectly legitimate under international law and, frankly, under good politics.

ES: Your former UN colleague the Syrian ambassador said to us that America was deliberately frustrating diplomatic attempts during those last two weeks of July precisely so Israel could have its head. From what you have just said, that’s a fair analysis of what was happening.

JB: I was damn proud of what we did.