A Tale of Two Tales: Firefight in Northern Israel (UPDATED)

Fire was exchanged this morning between Lebanese armed forces, some rumored to be Jizbullah, and the IDF at the border between Israel and Lebanon. Here is the tales being manufactured by the Associated Press.

The violence apparently erupted over a move by Israeli soldiers to cut down a tree along the fence dividing the two countries, a sign of the level of tensions at the border where Israel fought a war in 2006 with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

A Lebanese army officer said the clash started when Israeli troops tried to remove a tree from the Lebanese side of the border.

An Associated Press photo shows an Israeli standing on a crane reaching over the fence that Israel erected to separate the two countries. The fence, however, does not match the U.N.-drawn border in all places, and the Israeli military said in a statement that the tree was in Israeli territory.

Question...why is the AP photo not running with the story? Instead they are running the article with a photo of a reporter who was killed during the incident. Perhaps they are still photoshopping it. To see the photo in question go here.

Ronith Daher, 32, a Lebanese journalist who was at the scene, said she saw a UNIFIL peacekeeper ask Israel not to allow the Israeli soldier to cross the fence and warned them the Lebanese troops would open fire. The Israelis proceeded, however, and Lebanese soldiers fired into the air, Daher said. She said the Israelis fired back directly at the Lebanese soldiers.

Question...why were multiple journalists and photographers at the scene when this incident began if it was not premeditated on the part of the Lebanese/Jizbullah?

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told Israel Radio that the circumstances were still unclear.

As you will see, UNIFIL was alerted to the IDF operation today in which brush and trees were being removed on the Israeli side of the border to give a clear line of sight into Lebanon to help maintain security in this volatile area. If UNIFIL was informed, and peacekeepers were there UNIFIL knows exactly what happened. The Lebanese president's reaction however is the blatant giveaway that this entire episode was manufactured by Lebanon/Jizbullah and done so with coordination by UNIFIL. Don't be surprised when the UN demands an investigation into the incident, creates a panel headed by a Judeophobe, and the report condemns Israel for an action it fully coordinated with UNIFIL.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman denounced the fighting and urged the army commander to "confront any Israeli aggression whatever the sacrifices."

Suleiman said the shelling was a violation of the U.N. resolution that ended fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, saying Israeli troops had crossed the U.N.-drawn Blue Line boundary separating the two countries and fired on a Lebanese army checkpoint in Adeisseh.

Interesting that Suleiman was able to determine that Israel crossed the Blue Line when UNIFL officials say they are not sure what happened and that despite this he urged the military to engage in open hostilities against Israel.

Here is the text of the IDF's briefing on the incident. H/T to Carl in Jerusalem at Israel Matsav:

Today's unprovoked attack by the Lebanese army against the IDF, took place in Israeli territory along Israeli's Northern border. In some areas, there is a gap between the IDF security fence and the actual border, which is where this attack took place. IDF soldiers were conducting routine maintenance work including clearing bushes from the area. This sort of activity is crucial to keep an open line of sight, to prevent attacks and kidnappings, like the one in the summer of 2006, which was in a similar location.

This crucial work was fully coordinated with UNIFIL, and there was nothing unique about it.

A Lebanese sniper opened fire towards IDF forces in a clear and blatant violation of UN security council resolution 1701.

The IDF retaliated with artillery and helicopter fire.

IDF intelligence is investigating if this was premeditated attack.

The LAF opened fire not at the soldiers who were doing the routine maintenance work on the fence, but at the commanders who were standing nearby observing the work. This indicates that it was a preplanned attack not in reaction to the work on the fence.

We estimate 4 casualties on their side.

Some parts of the LAF are influenced by Hezbollah

After the initial exchange of fire, we were requested to suspend our fire so that they could evacuate their wounded. roughly half an hour after we suspended our fire, LAF shot an RPG at one of our tanks. They missed the tank and our tank returned fire.

IDF only opened fire in response to our soldiers being shot at and wounded.

This is the most serious incident along the northern border since 2006.

Iran has been attempting to get its proxies in Lebanon and Aza to provoke a conflict with Israel. Seeds are being sewn, and considering that UNIFIL was informed as to exactly what the IDF was going to be doing while it has consistently failed to prevent rockets from being transferred into Lebanon via Syria (and has most likely been aiding such efforts) I think it is safe to say this is all being done with the blessing of the United Nations, which is supposed to be enforcing the peace (HAHAHAHAHA!!!), while they play stupid and have just been given permission to investigate the IDF's operations during the so-called flotilla incident (how stupid is Bibi and his leftists cronies to allow that? It boggles the mind.).

So if the AP has an explanation for their biased, unsubstantiated reporting I'd love to hear it. If you're interested in seeing an even more biased account go to Yahoo's running of the Reuters version. It's classic.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Lieutenant Colonel (Res) Dov Harari (may G-d avenge his blood), and to the company commander (Captain) who was critically wounded. May he recover fully and speedily, B"H.

For more on this story check out Daled Amos' coverage of the altered caption at AP for the photo they are currently not running with the story. Also more at The Lid.

And My Right Word asks...where was the Israeli media?

UPDATE:

Ynet is reporting that UNIFIL has admitted that after touring the scene the Lebanese Army had no right to open fire on the IDF (H/T to Daled Amos Interesting. UNIFIL deputy spokesman Andrea Tenenti said earlier that UNIFIL could not confirm whether IDF operations were coordinated with UNIFIL. Any guesses as to whether the AP or Reuters will change the tenor of their articles, that accuse Israel of aggression?

Will there be a UN condemnation against Lebanon for its unjustified firing on Israel? How about from the White House? The European Union? David Cameron? Anybody?