The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization reassured the Beirut government last week it would use “wisdom” in attacking Israel and take Lebanon into consideration. Israel calmly beefed up military forces in the north and flew sorties over southern Lebanon.

Sunni Future Movement parliamentarian Ahmad Fatfat told the Elnashra news agency last week, “Fears of war between Hezbollah and Israel exist after [Hezbollah] showed no concern [for] the Lebanese interests as it implements an Iranian agenda.”

The secular party’s lawmaker made his remark in reference to a public vow by Iranian officials to avenge the death of a general from the elite Iranian Revolutional Guards unit. Hezbollah has long been serving as Iran’s proxy in Lebanon. The Iranian officer was killed last week with five others in his unit and six Hezbollah terrorists, including three commanders, when their convoy was attacked near Quneitra in Syria, in an airstrike attributed to Israel.

The IDF has not confirmed the attack.

“Hezbollah has not only the courage [to stand up to Israel] but also a high degree of wisdom,” said Lebanese government minister Muhammad Fneish. Also a member of Hezbollah, Fneish continued, “Whenever the response will come, Lebanon’s interests will be taken into consideration before anything,” he added, according to the Saturday edition of Kuwaiti daily “Al Anba’a.”

Fneish’s comments and the Al Anba’a article were translated Saturday by the Hebrew-language news website, Mako.

Also on Saturday, Israeli warplanes flew sorties over southern Lebanon and in the Beka’a Valley, according to Lebanese media. The move was part of a general military buildup by Israeli forces in the north.

On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces moved a number of troops up to the northern border area and security briefings were held at Northern Command headquarters in Tzefat.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met at headquarters with Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Operations Branch head Maj.-Gen. Yoav Har Ev, and other senior command officers.

Ya’alon told reporters following the meeting that Israel will not tolerate attempts to harm its citizens. The IDF would respond “with force against any such attempt,” Ya’alon said.

Israel knew exactly who it was eliminating an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general in Sunday’s strike on Iranian and Hezbollah forces, according to the usually reliable al-Rai Kuwaiti newspaper.

First reports of Sunday’s attack on terrorists, known as “fighters” in sterile MediaSpeak, indicated that the aerial bombing wiped out six Hezbollah members, including a top General and an Iranian soldier.

Israel, of course, played dumb.

Reports from Iran began to surface that six Iranians were also killed including a Guards commander, and anonymous Israel officials told foreign wire services, “Huh?”

Israel’s intelligence is unarguably the best in the world. It occasional slips up, but it usually is on the mark. But someone in the top echelon was trying to sell a story that, yes, the IDF attacked terrorists who were planning to launch attacks on Israel, but did not know that one of the targets was Iranian General Mohammed Allahdadi.

Then the threats poured in like Hezbollah missiles during the Second Lebanon War. Revenge will come. Israel is doomed. Run for the sea.

Israel media analysts had a field day clawing Israeli intelligence to bits.

No one thought “out of the box” and suggested that maybe Israel was faking it to convince the Iranians, “Gee, sorry. It was an accident.”

It might have been, but it is difficult to believe that Israeli intelligence knew so many details that it was able to pinpoint the targets without knowing exactly who they are.

The IDF will award 53 soldiers, among them 4 women, military decorations for their service during this past summer’s Operation “Protective Edge”. Among the women, one received a citation (tsalash), and three others received medals of appreciation from the Israeli Southern Command. Lieutenant Dr. Regina Pekman, a medical officer in the 188 Brigade, received a citation for her actions on July 31, 2014. Lieutenant Dr. Pekman arrived to a deployment area in Israel, which was bombarded by mortar shells. She commanded the evacuation of injured IDF soldiers, while providing medical treatment for many other Israeli soldiers which were wounded. All through the incident, “Color Red” alarms were heard, and the entire area was under rocket fire.

Sergeant Ronnie Jackson, an electronic observation handler, from the observation unit in the “Nesher” battalion, received an award for her actions on July 17, 2014. Sergeant Jackson identified a group of 13 Hamas terrorists which infiltrated Israel through a terror tunnel, near Kibutz “Sufa”, on the Israeli-Gaza border. Jackson reported her findings to her commanders, which led to a successful Israeli response that prevented the terrorists from killing Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Corporal Noa Teitel, an electronic observation handler from the Israeli Navy, was honored for her actions on July 8th, 2014. Corporal Teitel identified a group of Hamas terrorists which infiltrated Israel by sea, near Kibutz Zikim, in the “Hof Ashkelon Regional Council”. Corporal Teitel informed her commanders, and participated in the coordination between Navy and Infantry forces that arrived on the scene. Corporal Teitel’s actions enabled Israeli forces to stop the maritime terror attack.

Sergeant Lihi Meir, an electronic observation handler, from the observation unit in the “Nesher” battalion, was honored for her actions on July 21, 2014. Sergeant Meir identified five Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel and disguised themselves with IDF uniforms. Later on that day, another group of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel in the same location. Again, Sergeant Meir identified the group and reported to her commanders. Infantry forces and tanks arrived at the scene and prevented them from murdering Israeli soldiers and civilians. Among all the soldiers receiving honors, the highest honor will be given to Lieutenant Eitan Pond from the Givati brigade. Lieutenant Pond will receive the “Medal of Distinguished Service” for his brave actions during the abduction of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was taken into a terror tunnel in the Gaza Strip. Lieutenant Pond arrived at the scene of the abduction, and led a four man search force into the tunnel in order to find Lieutenant Goldin. Lieutenant Pond’s actions helped determine Lieutenant Goldin’s death.

The recipients will receive their awards from IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, and other generals.

8:49 PM Another possible Hezbollah casualty may have been Abu Ali Tabtabai, Hezbollah’s commander for Syrian operations. This is still unconfirmed.

Some Lebanese sources are now saying that 6 Iranians and 5 Hezbollah terrorists were killed on the Golan Heights strike.

8:19 PM The number of Hezbollah terrorists killed appears to now be six, including 3 senior terrorists, among them senior Hezbollah commander Jihad Mughniyeh, an Iranian field commander and Hezbollah field commander Mohammad Issa.

They were assisting in preparing a rocket to launch at Israel at the time.

7:54 PM Reports are coming in that the IAF helicopter strike earlier this afternoon took out at least five Hezbollah terrorists operating on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, including senior Hezbollah commander Jihad Mughniyeh.

There are reports that Iranian field commander Abu Ali Tabtabai was also killed in the air strike.

Hezbollah’s Jihad Mughniyeh was charged by Nasrallah to set up the operations for Hezbollah to attack Israel from the Golan Heights .

In July 2013, JewishPress.com reported that Hezbollah was setting up a terror division on the Golan Heights , this was followed by a Druze report in October 2014 which said that Samir Kuntar was in charge of organizing a Golan Heights terror cell.

Jihad Mughniyeh was the head of the Hezbollah Heights terror cell, and Samir Kuntar was member of it.

Hezbollah has gone on full alert along the Israeli border in Lebanon and on the Golan.

Reports in Lebanon are that Israeli fighter planes are flying overhead.

Samir Kuntar’s brother claims that Samir is still alive.

5:20 PM It is not clear what exactly the Israeli Air Force hit in southern Syria on the Golan Heights near Kuneitra, but it does appear that an IAF helicopter shot two missiles and hit some bad guys.

Lebanese MTV network reports that an Israeli helicopter strike on Southern Syria hit a cell that was preparing to launch a rocket at Israel.

Other Arab source indicates that the helicopter hit a moving convoy.

Israeli Channel 2 TV is now saying that Israeli hit Jabhat Al-Nusrah fighters, while Channel 10 says that Jabhat Al-Nusrah fighters were setting out to plant a bomb and the IAF hit them.

The IDF had no comment.

Israeli soldiers reportedly threw six smoke bombs into Lebanese territory Sunday morning, lightly injuring three Lebanese soldiers during a patrol along the border, Lebanese media reported.

The IDF has not yet responded to the report.

The incident occurred at the border near an area that has been the focus of conflict for years because of contradictory territorial claims by Israel, the United Nations and Lebanon.

Voice of Lebanon said that three Lebanese soldiers suffered from suffocation after a smoke bomb was tossed over the border fence, and other reports said six smoke bombs were thrown.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the IDF was conducting a ground patrol while the Israeli Air Force flew several drones over the area.

Hezbollah claimed in October that Israel was responsible for an explosion at the Shebaa Farms area.

The IDF has released a video that gives a rare look into training of elite soldiers in the Counter Terrorism Unit who have to deal terrorists who take hostages.

One of the most important and difficult tasks is to approach the terrorists in absolute quiet.

I was returning to my home in Israel after being in the States for a month.

Near the end of the ride, the airline attendants gave the 15 minute warning, after which everyone would have to stay seated, buckled-up in preparation for landing.

I was near the front of the line, waiting.  A heavy-set man, perhaps in his early sixties, began speaking to me in Hebrew. I turned and smiled, and explained my Hebrew was not very good. He then continued speaking, this time in a broad mid-western American English.

I asked the man how it was that his Hebrew was so good, and he explained he had served in the IDF in the 1970′s. I was a little surprised, as he was not very rugged looking (or sounding), but I thanked him for serving.

He asked me whether I had been to Israel before, and I explained to him that I have been many times before and was living in the country for this whole year.

So far so good. An easy, smile-filled patter continued briefly, although I sensed a small dip of disappointment, perhaps realizing he would not be able to play the role of informed insider to a wide-eyed new visitor.

And then everything changed.

It changed when I told him where I was living this year.

Once I told him I was living in Gush Etzion, in the community of Efrat, a prickly shell began forming.

“Oh, one of my relatives lives there. He’s very right-wing,” he said to me.

“Really?” I replied, “What does that mean?” Perhaps my gaze became a little more focused at this point, perhaps a shell began coating my soft outer flesh.

“Oh, well, I know many settlers, I met them when I was serving in the West Bank, actually many are very nice.”

“But?” I prompted, still gazing intently at him.

“Well, like my friends, and as all of the major military figures agree, I know that the only hope for Israel is the new party with Herzog and Livni*,” he said, assuming that because there are former members of the Israeli military championing his dream ticket, he would win this round.

“What do you mean, the only hope for Israel?” I asked.

“Well, the only hope for peace,” he explained.

“So, you think Israel is the obstacle to peace?” I asked. That was the end of the conversation. He looked away, found a teenage girl who had come up behind us, and began querying her about her future plans. I heard him encouraging her to consider applying to the midwestern state university where he teaches.

It took a few minutes for my blood to cool.

I am sure my airplane bathroom line partner really believes he knows what’s best for Israel. He has to believe he loves Israel. And yet, he actually believes that Israel is the obstacle to peace. He firmly believes that unless a less “hardline” regime is voted in, Israel is doomed.

Never mind that Ehud Olmert tried to hand over control of Israel’s security to the moderate terrorist sitting in the driver’s seat over at the Palestinian Authority. Never mind that from before the time Israel was reborn she has never had true peace no matter who was sitting in the Prime Minister’s office, left, right or center.

On whom can we blame this man’s misguided thinking? And how can we hope to counter the message he so quickly shares on bathroom lines and, no doubt, in his classroom and synagogue listserv and possibly at public speaking events in his midwestern community?