Israel is Making Unprecedented Concessions

I'm quite surprised at the Israeli behavior in this cease fire and withdrawl. Hizbullah is behaving very much like the winner, refusing to give up arms despite the UN brokered cease fire that requires them to do so. In the past, that would have led to immediate repercussions by the Israelis. In fact, it might be seen as a way for Israel to assert a strong hand after a public relations fiasco but demonstrating Hizbullah's intransigence and willingness to put their own people in harms way.
But Israel is looking very much like a team player with the UN, something I never thought I'd see in my life time. France's involvement will give the UNIFIL force real credibility. They are not about to let Hizbullah and Israel make fools of them.
This is getting very interesting. Perhaps Israel finally is recognizing it's future is in the community of nations. Perhaps for the first time, they are realizing that they can't fend off their enemies on their own.
WaPo

Breaking an impasse, the Lebanese government on Wednesday ordered army troops to deploy across southern Lebanon under a compromise arrangement that allows the Hezbollah militia to retain some of its arms caches near the border with Israel.


Military authorities said as many as 15,000 troops would begin taking up positions in devastated southern villages, seeking to defuse a threat to the U.N. cease-fire that went into effect Monday morning after 33 days of warfare between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military.


[...]Hezbollah welcomed the army deployment and its ministers voted with the cabinet majority. But political sources involved in the decision said Hezbollah did so on condition that the army pledge not to look closely at whether all of the militia's armaments and missile stores were carried out of the border zone.


[...]France has offered to lead the reinforced UNIFIL detachment and contribute troops. The French foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, after conferring with Siniora in Beirut, urged swift deployment of Lebanese army troops to provide reinforcement for the international peacekeepers as soon as possible.


Turkey also has offered to send troops. Its foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, also conferred with Lebanese officials in Beirut, along with the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Pakistan. Malaysia has said it, too, might send soldiers, along with Italy and several others. The Bush administration has said no U.S. troops will be involved.