About that Israeli hash...

The first prime minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion stated that "When Israel has prostitutes and thieves, [Israel will] be a state just like any other" (Rosenthal, 383). He should have also mentioned drugs since every state seems to have its own drug culture. Israel has become a state like many others in that the youth are engaged in smoking hashish and popping ecstasy pills.

Just like most countries, Israel too holds a policy of drug prohibition. Possession of ecstasy for example can land you in jail for twenty years (Rosenthal, 394). There is however a sort of prioritization for law enforcement who generally target dealers over users and even then, only the larger ones. Still, this creates a black market effect allowing those involved in the drug trade to make huge profits in exchange for the increased risks. One group that is profiting heavily is Hezbollah.

Islam prohibits the use of drugs and considers wealth created through it's sale as "haram" or "forbidden." With that in mind, the Islamist group Hezbollah seems to be open to selling hashish in Israel in exchange for money, weapons and intelligence. I suppose anything goes when it comes to assisting their fight against what many Islamists consider the "Small Satan" (Rosenthal, 393).

In order to get what you want in an exchange--even in the black market--you always give something up. The Christian Science Monitor mentions a lieutenant colonel, who lost his eye in a Hezbollah bomb during the 1990's, was caught involved with selling intelligence for hash and heroin to them. In a way, some of the druggies who say that marijuana (which hashish is derived from) will solve all conflicts may have a point in that here we see enemies working together for drugs, though I would suggest otherwise.

I will say that it may be in Israel's best interests to relax their drug policy. The benefits of the drug trade in the existing environment to groups like Hezbollah is clear and very dangerous. Stop The Drug War, a website run by the strongly drug legalization think tank The Drug Reform Coordination Network, reported in 2006 of an attempt by some Israeli drug users to boycott hash because of this very problem. However, they cite The Jewish Daily Forward's interview with a Jerusalem drug dealer who, after admitting to the Hezbollah connection, suggests everyone to simply "Roll that shit, light that shit, smoke that shit."

We may scoff that the drug dealers approach to a serious problem, but the quote within itself does bring up a good point: people are going to use hashish and they will look for ways to obtain it. Do the benefits to the current drug policy outweigh the benefits of legalization? With legalization, Israelis can grow cannabis within the state and manufacture their own hash. The supply of hashish will increase dramatically and with it being sold in the regular market, the risk involved decrease as well, lowering prices and making its sale far less profitable.

Rosenthal mentions that police once found marijuana fields in Negev. (393) The details are scarce, but if these fields are not being run by a group that is actively trying to destroy Israel, is it not better to permit it? There are consequences of laissez-faire approach to the drug trade and perhaps groups like Hezbollah can yet find ways to remain entangled especially since they have a head start in the industry already. Ultimately though, it is a matter that should be seriously looked into.

Unfortunately, outside of Stop The Drug War, it is not. Nobody mentioned in Donna Rosenthal's chapter on the subject ever brings it up (minus the guy at the Green Leaf Party who seemed more interested in talking about drugs than actual policy) though she does not necessarily endorse the current drug policy either. The Christian Science Monitor almost justifies Hezbollah's connections with the Lebanese military.