Former CIA director and U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has accused Israel of engaging in "terrorism," leveling a charge against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that's typically reserved for enemies of the Israeli state.
The Obama administration fixture, not exactly a favorite among antiwar activists, used the "terrorism" label to describe a suspected Israeli operation to rig pagers and walkie-talkies used by the militant group Hezbollah with explosives. The act of sabotage killed at least 37 people and injured thousands more across Lebanon, including operatives and civilians alike. The coordinated attacks, which preceded a wave of devastating Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, have been widely attributed to Israel.
