JO-ANN MORT: DISPATCH FROM TEL AVIV The weekend begins on Friday in Israel -- and this weekend, the war is settling in. The initial shock and feeling of righteous justification have begun to yield to wonderment about where all this is going. The change in mood is slight so far, but questions are beginning to be asked, concerns beginning to be raised -- particularly as Israeli soldiers start taking casualties. (Unlike in the United States, every soldier who dies in a war or attack is written up in the media. Often, his family is interviewed on television). People in the North -- those still there -- are growing weary of life in bomb shelters. According to Israeli press reports, 30 to 50 percent of the residents in the North have left for the short term. The Tel Aviv Hotel in which I�m staying is completely filled, largely with residents of Northern Israel.
The weekend papers are filled with articles questioning where this is heading for Israel and how success and victory will be claimed. The military has announced that it is calling up several thousand reserves, and elite army units have already begun ground operations inside Lebanon. There is virtually no desire among Israelis to reoccupy Lebanon -- on the contrary. This time, they want to disengage for good, without Hezbollah rockets aimed at Israel left in place. But how exactly Israel will accomplish this aim, and what price will be paid?
