Israel to name Lebanon war

Israel is expected to name the Lebanon war this month. Political
sources said Sunday that the government’s Ceremonies and Symbols Committee
would convene imminently, probably on March 19, following pressure from the
families of veterans of the July-August conflict.

Israel has yet to
acknowledge the 34 days of fighting against Hezbollah guerrillas as a “war,”
a fact political sources attributed to Finance Ministry concerns about
the fiscal burdens that would entail in terms of compensation payouts to
northern communities. Instead, the Ceremonies and Symbols Committee is
likely to dub the conflict an “operation” or “campaign.” For now, the
epitaphs of slain soldiers describe them as having “fallen during the
fighting in southern Lebanon.”