Word: pretexts
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...Israel's best friend. It has become clear that the Israelis didn't expect their offensive to escalate into a war so costly and messy. If Washington were playing its conventional, pre-9/11 role--calling for moderation from all parties--the Israeli officials could use that as a pretext for climbing down from their position that they won't stop fighting until Hizballah is demonstrably trounced...
...left during the occupation. Rice is also encouraging Lebanon and Israel to work out a deal on the so-called Shebaa Farms problem. This tiny patch of territory is occupied by Israel. Historically it belonged to Syria, but Lebanon and Syria now assert that it is Lebanese--providing a pretext for further resistance to the "occupier." If Shebaa is resolved, possibly by Israel delivering it into the hands of the multinational force, Hizballah will be able to claim a proud if insubstantial victory but will have one less reason to keep fighting...
...After Rice appeared before the cameras, a U.S. official involved in her diplomacy cast the U.S. view in stronger terms. ?We don?t want to accept any pretext for delaying the ceasefire,? he said. Asked what ?pretext? meant, he said, ?I?ve said enough.? But he also noted, ?We?re making very clear to Israelis our distress at this incident. We?re looking to wrap things up and then move the action to New York...
This is a pretext. The authorities have been biting their nails for weeks now on how to move the parade elsewhere. Earlier on in the month, the city’s police issued this quite embarrassing statement: “in Tel Aviv, they are more accustomed to such large events, so it would be better to hold this even there...
...known as Shebaa Farms, wedged between Lebanon and Syria and occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. Although the territory had been part of Syria at that time, both the Syrian and Lebanese governments insist it belongs to Lebanon (although the United Nations disagrees), and that gives Hizballah a pretext to continue bearing arms against Israel on the grounds it is trying to liberate occupied Lebanese land. Arab officials are suggesting that if the U.S. package deal were to return the Shebaa Farms to Lebanon, perhaps to be used for the base of the NATO force, that would allow...