International reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War 39% disapproved, and 16% were not sure. When asked to think about the events of the past week in the Middle East, 54% of Americans answered that their sympathies are more with Israel, 11% answered more with Arab nations, 11% both, 11% neither, and 13% not sure. In August 2006, University of Chicago political scientist John Mearsheimer accused Israel of using the kidnapping of its soldiers by Hezbollah as an excuse to attack Lebanon and start the 2006 Lebanon War. Mearsheimer stated that "Israel had been planning to strike at Hezbollah for months. Key Israelis had briefed the administration about
European reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War [...] using the instrument of violence". The Pope exclaimed that those responsible should immediately cease hostilities, "in the name of God". Then he asked governments and international institutions to make every effort to that end, and asked people of good will to continue sending relief aid and praying God for peace. European reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War Reactions to the 2006 Lebanon War coming from the European countries. Ursula Plassnik, Austrian foreign minister, called for an immediate end to hostilities in Lebanon. "The [use of] blind force must stop," Plassnik said. "I appeal seriously to the Israeli army and