BEIRUT

IT’S THE DOG that hasn’t barked.

Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, normally a loyal ally of the Islamic Republic, appears to be sitting out the current hostilities with Israel.

“Israel did a lot of damage to Hezbollah a while back – remember those pager assassinations – and the Lebanese Government has its eyes on the private Islamic army in its southern territory; discretion might be the better part of valor for the warriors of Hezbollah,” says Professor Rock Forest of the right-wing think tank Get Your Revenge In First. “Everyone in the neighborhood has seen the pasting Israel has given Gaza. They’re all watching to see if Iran gets the same treatment. Meanwhile, the Iranians are showering Israel in so many missiles that Hezbollah probably thinks anything its people fire will be lost in the crowd. And then of course, there’s the USA. How much input did Washington have in all this? And will it join Israel? Best time to kick your enemy in the balls is when he’s down. So maybe Hezbollah is just waiting to see which way the wind blows. It might launch some token weaponry and leave it there.”