GERMANY PERSPECTIVE

Berlin covers the Lebanon bombings with the caution of a country paralyzed by its own history. Deutsche Welle headlines 'uncertainty in Lebanon after Israel's bombs on Beirut' — the word 'uncertainty' is typically German, preferring ambiguity to direct accusation. Germany, which contributes hundreds of millions to UNIFIL and considers Israel's security a 'reason of state,' finds itself in an impossible position: its peacekeepers are threatened by the forces of a country it cannot publicly criticize.