Israel’s attack on Hezbollah’s communication devices raised expectations of a decisive shift in their war of attrition. Instead, the fighting has returned to a standoff.

The criticism of the tactics and the fact that it inspired some laughter from besieged Israelis speak volumes about the moral sickness afflicting many Western liberals.

At around 3:30 in the afternoon on Tuesday, the pagers across Lebanon began beeping, delivering a message from Hezbollah leadership to their operatives through a chorus of chimes, melodies, and buzzes.