Optimism in Syria : "We are closing the noose on Israel. This may be the last battle, and we may be able to redraw the map of the Middle East"

[Ban Hammer 13,676]

The Lebanese people did not start the war - they are bearing the brunt of the casualties. Israel has been blasting Lebanon and supposed "Hezbollah" targets but how much damage has actually been done to Hezbollah - not a whole lot. How many neighborhoods have been ruined - a bunch.

This is certainly true, but there is no evidence that it is the aim of Israel to cause innocent deaths. In fact, they've dropped leaflets urging people to leave the area. You've got to remember that it can only be a top priority for a nation to minimize the civilian casualties of their enemy nation when that nation poses no threat to their own civilians (of course you could argue whether or not they should even attack in that case at all, but that's another 200 topics). In this case Israel is dealing with an immediate threat to it's own population and that of course is it's number 1 priority.

The fact that there have been more Lebanese civilians killed than Israelis is due to nothing more than superior weopons, better preparation by Israeli citizens to deal with attacks, and even a bit of good luck. You don't think that Hezbollah has no intentions of causing large amounts of deaths when they send their unguided rockets blindly into Israeli cities do you?

or perhaps that hezbollah is inept in aiming. if so, should the un provide training to them so the casualties are more even?

[mawilson 2,133]

How many thousands of Arabs are sitting in Israeli prisons?

Did you ever think why they are sitting in Israeli prisons? Could it be because they are convicted criminals?

[incanada1234 0]

How many thousands of Arabs are sitting in Israeli prisons?

Did you ever think why they are sitting in Israeli prisons? Could it be because they are convicted criminals?

No, it's because they're just fighting for what they believe in, dammit! If we would all just LOVE them then the fighting would STOP!

[Ban Hammer 13,676]

i'm just waiting for hezbollah to get their meat beaters on these:

frog

old missile system but more modern than what they are using.

[rclouse 0]

The Lebanese people did not start the war - they are bearing the brunt of the casualties. Israel has been blasting Lebanon and supposed "Hezbollah" targets but how much damage has actually been done to Hezbollah - not a whole lot. How many neighborhoods have been ruined - a bunch. It's just so much easier for everyone to group them all together (i.e. Lebanese, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda) and honestly no one here (US) seems to give a damn about the Arab people anyway.... Funny how it's ok to hate Arabs, be rascists etc. but we're all concerned about being PC when it comes to Blacks or Hispanics....

Israel does its best to target legitimate military and terrorist targets. Hezbollah shoots rockets at Israel, specifically targetting civilians. They got lucky a couple times, especially with that drone, but by and large they're not targetting legitimate military assets. Now, is Israel going too far? IMHO, yes. But even when they go too far their hands are far cleaner than Hezbollah. And the Arab on the street thinks hezbollah is great for "standing up to Israel". All it's doing is setting up more death and yet another defeat for the Arabs.

Arabs need to be realistic and quit painting themselves as the victim all the time. The state of Israel is not going to magically disappear or be defeated by force of arms or terrorism. So Arabs have a choice, either find a way to have peace with their small Jewish neighbor, or endure never ending conflict, bloodshed, and war.

And quit blaming "the Jooooz" for all your problems. Are Jews forcing you to live under military dictatorships? Are Jews denying you freedom of the press? Are Jews beating you when you protest your government? Sheesh.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

i'm just waiting for hezbollah to get their meat beaters on these:

frog

old missile system but more modern than what they are using.

The German V-2 is a better missle.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

“If you think what's going on in the Middle East today would be going on if the Democrats were in control, it wouldn't, because we would have worked day after day after day to make sure we didn't get where we are today. We would have had the moral authority that Bill Clinton had when he brought together the Northern Irish and the IRA, when he brought together the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politic...9-1m16dean.html

[MrsAmera 41]

Even though some of you believe my comments are baseless or whatever you want to think - I'm not an un-eduated person. I'm working on a Master's degree in International Politics, I've done research on the view of Muslims and Arabs in the United States. I'm not ignorant. I'd be happy to share my research with you (not sure if you would read it with an open mind but I will). I've had to defend my work in front of panels of professors and recieved positive responses. All I asked was for this to be looked at from both sides. The Arabs in Israeli prisons are not all criminals - I'm sure some of them are, just like any other people but they're not all - just like the thousands of Arabs that have been arrested and detained in the US on "suspicion" of terrorist activities are not all criminals - in fact the detentions in the US have not led to a single warrentable arrest on terrorist charges. I think it's wrong to demonize a whole group of people. Maybe I'm the only one here who can look at both sides objectively. I don't agree with Israeli actions in Lebanon, I don't agree with Hezbollah's miliant claims. I think President Ahmadinejad is crazy for his claims and supporting Hezbollah. The fact is these conflicts have been occuring for a long time. Even if the Palestinians/or other Arabs in the area decided to simply give up, you are crazy to believe that Israel would start to play nice.

Please feel free to target, hate, criticize, demean, etc. etc. me. I've tried to encourage you to see the other side of the story but perhaps that is just an idealistic dream....

[mercuryroad 0]

Even though some of you believe my comments are baseless or whatever you want to think - I'm not an un-eduated person. I'm working on a Master's degree in International Politics, I've done research on the view of Muslims and Arabs in the United States. I'm not ignorant. I'd be happy to share my research with you (not sure if you would read it with an open mind but I will). I've had to defend my work in front of panels of professors and recieved positive responses. All I asked was for this to be looked at from both sides. The Arabs in Israeli prisons are not all criminals - I'm sure some of them are, just like any other people but they're not all - just like the thousands of Arabs that have been arrested and detained in the US on "suspicion" of terrorist activities are not all criminals - in fact the detentions in the US have not led to a single warrentable arrest on terrorist charges. I think it's wrong to demonize a whole group of people. Maybe I'm the only one here who can look at both sides objectively. I don't agree with Israeli actions in Lebanon, I don't agree with Hezbollah's miliant claims. I think President Ahmadinejad is crazy for his claims and supporting Hezbollah. The fact is these conflicts have been occuring for a long time. Even if the Palestinians/or other Arabs in the area decided to simply give up, you are crazy to believe that Israel would start to play nice.

Please feel free to target, hate, criticize, demean, etc. etc. me. I've tried to encourage you to see the other side of the story but perhaps that is just an idealistic dream....

If, in your words, the Palestinians/or other Arabs in the area decided to give up, what would be Israel's motivation in continuing violence? Please elaborate.

I consider myself objective on this scenario and also agree that the actions of Israel have gone too far. At the same time, nobody can answer the question on what they should do. Clearly the acts against them in this instance are wrong and require a response.

I realize people are sensitive, but as a rational person, you must admit that Israel was forced to do something.

And please don't bring up history because that is pointless at this stage. The question is clear. What should Israel do about the situation now? What do they do about their abducted soldiers that were taken by a foreign force that crossed into their border?

I see both sides.....and it is terrible that people had to die on both sides. The blame, however, soley rests on Hezbollah. Israel had no reason or intention of going into Lebanon until this all happened. Things may not have been perfect, but they were not at war. The actions of Hezbollah are directly responsible for the violence today.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Even though some of you believe my comments are baseless or whatever you want to think - I'm not an un-eduated person. I'm working on a Master's degree in International Politics, I've done research on the view of Muslims and Arabs in the United States. I'm not ignorant. I'd be happy to share my research with you (not sure if you would read it with an open mind but I will). I've had to defend my work in front of panels of professors and recieved positive responses. All I asked was for this to be looked at from both sides. The Arabs in Israeli prisons are not all criminals - I'm sure some of them are, just like any other people but they're not all - just like the thousands of Arabs that have been arrested and detained in the US on "suspicion" of terrorist activities are not all criminals - in fact the detentions in the US have not led to a single warrentable arrest on terrorist charges. I think it's wrong to demonize a whole group of people. Maybe I'm the only one here who can look at both sides objectively. I don't agree with Israeli actions in Lebanon, I don't agree with Hezbollah's miliant claims. I think President Ahmadinejad is crazy for his claims and supporting Hezbollah. The fact is these conflicts have been occuring for a long time. Even if the Palestinians/or other Arabs in the area decided to simply give up, you are crazy to believe that Israel would start to play nice.

Please feel free to target, hate, criticize, demean, etc. etc. me. I've tried to encourage you to see the other side of the story but perhaps that is just an idealistic dream....

Everytime Israel responds in the way it constantly does in these situations they're playing into the hands of people who would like to see them destroyed. Ultimately, I think there are too many people with vested interests on one side of the conflict (namely Israel) encouraging these sort of punitive responses that anyone with moderate views on how to deal with the crisis gets shouted down.

Previously the US would have been able to urge restraint on Israel - encourage them to 'turn the other cheek' so to speak - but Bush's 'War on Terror' and his pre-emptive invasion of Iraq (supposedly as a result of 9/11) means that Israel feels confident to engage in similar tactics of its own, because sadly the US has lost any moral high-ground it once maintained.

[Ban Hammer 13,676]

“If you think what's going on in the Middle East today would be going on if the Democrats were in control, it wouldn't, because we would have worked day after day after day to make sure we didn't get where we are today. We would have had the moral authority that Bill Clinton had when he brought together the Northern Irish and the IRA, when he brought together the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politic...9-1m16dean.html

it worries me when the democrats talk about morals

[MrsAmera 41]

"If, in your words, the Palestinians/or other Arabs in the area decided to give up, what would be Israel's motivation in continuing violence?"

- Perhaps it wouldn't continue in the way that violence is conotated in this debate. They would remain occupying Gaza as they would like to see the Palestinians pushed out of all the territories constituting what they believe to be part of Israel. There would still be arguements/violence over Jerusalem by all sides of the party. (To answer how to fix this situation I'm honestly not sure - make it an international city like the Vatican? So that neither the Christians, Muslims or Jews could lay claim to it - but then how do you make all sides respect that?). Israel violates UN resolutions all the time - here are a "few"

UN Resolutions Regarding Israel, 1955-1992

1. Resolution 106: "... 'condemns' Israel for Gaza raid"

2. Resolution 111: "...'condemns' Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people"

3. Resolution 127: "...'recommends' Israel suspend its 'no-man's zone' in Jerusalem"

4. Resolution 162: "...'urges' Israel to comply with UN decisions"

5. Resolution 171: "...determines flagrant violations' by Israel in its attack on Syria"

6. Resolution 228: "...'censures' Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control"

7. Resolution 237: "...'urges' Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees"

8. Resolution 248: "... 'condemns' Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan"

9. Resolution 250: "... 'calls' on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem"

10. Resolution 251: "... 'deeply deplores' Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250"

11. Resolution 252: "...'declares invalid' Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital"

12. Resolution 256: "... 'condemns' Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation""

13. Resolution 259: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation"

14. Resolution 262: "...'condemns' Israel for attack on Beirut airport"

15. Resolution 265: "... 'condemns' Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan"

16. Resolution 267: "...'censures' Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem"

17. Resolution 270: "...'condemns' Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon"

18. Resolution 271: "...'condemns' Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem"

19. Resolution 279: "...'demands' withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon"

20. Resolution 280: "....'condemns' Israeli's attacks against Lebanon"

21. Resolution 285: "...'demands' immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon"

22. Resolution 298: "...'deplores' Israel's changing of the status of Jerusalem"

23. Resolution 313: "...'demands' that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon"

24. Resolution 316: "...'condemns' Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon"

25. Resolution 317: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon"

26. Resolution 332: "...'condemns' Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon"

27. Resolution 337: "...'condemns' Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty"

28. Resolution 347: "...'condemns' Israeli attacks on Lebanon"

29. Resolution 425: "...'calls' on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon"

30. Resolution 427: "...'calls' on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon'

31. Resolution 444: "...'deplores' Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces"

32. Resolution 446: "...'determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention"

33. Resolution 450: "...'calls' on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon"

34. Resolution 452: "...'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories"

35. Resolution 465: "...'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel's settlements program"

36. Resolution 467: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's military intervention in Lebanon"

37. Resolution 468: "...'calls' on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return"

38. Resolution 469: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's failure to observe the council's order not to deport Palestinians"

39. Resolution 471: "... 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention"

40. Resolution 476: "... 'reiterates' that Israel's claims to Jerusalem are 'null and void'"

41. Resolution 478: "...'censures (Israel) in the strongest terms' for its claim to Jerusalem in its 'Basic Law'"

42. Resolution 484: "...'declares it imperative' that Israel re-admit two deported Palestinian mayors"

43. Resolution 487: "...'strongly condemns' Israel for its attack on Iraq's nuclear facility"

44. Resolution 497: "...'decides' that Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights is 'null and void' and demands that Israel rescind its decision forthwith"

45. Resolution 498: "...'calls' on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon"

46. Resolution 501: "...'calls' on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops"

47. Resolution 509: "...'demands' that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon"

48. Resolution 515: "...'demands' that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and allow food supplies to be brought in"

49. Resolution 517: "...'censures' Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon"

50. Resolution 518: "...'demands' that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon"

51. Resolution 520: "...'condemns' Israel's attack into West Beirut"

52. Resolution 573: "...'condemns' Israel 'vigorously' for bombing Tunisia in attack on PLO headquarters

53. Resolution 587: "...'takes note' of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw"

54. Resolution 592: "...'strongly deplores' the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops"

55. Resolution 605: "...'strongly deplores' Israel's policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians

56. Resolution 607: "...'calls' on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention

57. Resolution 608: "...'deeply regrets' that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians"

58. Resolution 636: "...'deeply regrets' Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians

59. Resolution 641: "...'deplores' Israel's continuing deportation of Palestinians

60. Resolution 672: "...'condemns' Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount

61. Resolution 673: "...'deplores' Israel's refusal to cooperate with the United Nations

62. Resolution 681: "...'deplores' Israel's resumption of the deportation of Palestinians

63. Resolution 694: "...'deplores' Israel's deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return

64. Resolution 726: "...'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of Palestinians

65. Resolution 799: "...'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of 413 Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.

The following are the resolutions vetoed by the United States during the period of September, 1972, to May, 1990 to protect Israel from council criticism:

1. ....condemned Israel's attack against Southern against southern Lebanon and Syria..."

2. ....affirmed the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, statehood and equal protections..."

3. ...condemned Israel's air strikes and attacks in southern Lebanon and its murder of innocent civilians..."

4. ....called for self-determination of Palestinian people..."

5. ....deplored Israel's altering of the status of Jerusalem, which is recognized as an international city by most world nations and the United Nations..."

6. ....affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people..."

7. ....endorsed self-determination for the Palestinian people..."

8. ....demanded Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights..."

9. ....condemned Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and its refusal to abide by the Geneva convention protocols of civilized nations..."

10. ....condemned an Israeli soldier who shot eleven Moslem worshippers at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount near Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem..."

11. ....urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Lebanon..."

12. ....urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Beirut..."

14. ....urged cutoff of economic aid to Israel if it refused to withdraw from its occupation of Lebanon..."

15. ....condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, denouncing them as an obstacle to peace..."

16. ....deplores Israel's brutal massacre of Arabs in Lebanon and urges its withdrawal..."

17. ....condemned Israeli brutality in southern Lebanon and denounced the Israeli 'Iron Fist' policy of repression...."

18. ....denounced Israel's violation of human rights in the occupied territories..."

19. ....deplored Israel's violence in southern Lebanon..."

20. ....deplored Israel's activities in occupied Arab East Jerusalem that threatened the sanctity of Muslim holy sites..."

21. ....condemned Israel's hijacking of a Libyan passenger airplane..."

22. ....deplored Israel's attacks against Lebanon and its measures and practices against the civilian population of Lebanon..."

23. ....called on Israel to abandon its policies against the Palestinian intifada that violated the rights of occupied Palestinians, to abide by the Fourth Geneva Conventions, and to formalize a leading role for the United Nations in future peace negotiations..."

24. ....urged Israel to accept back deported Palestinians, condemned Israel's shooting of civilians, called on Israel to uphold the Fourth Geneva Convention, and called for a peace settlement under UN auspices..."

25. ....condemned Israel's... incursion into Lebanon..."

26. ....deplored Israel's... commando raids on Lebanon..."

27. ....deplored Israel's repression of the Palestinian intifada and called on Israel to respect the human rights of the Palestinians..."

28. ....deplored Israel's violation of the human rights of the Palestinians..."

29. ....demanded that Israel return property confiscated from Palestinians during a tax protest and allow a fact-finding mission to observe Israel's crackdown on the Palestinian intifada..."

30. ...called for a fact-finding mission on abuses against Palestinians in Israeli-occupied lands..."--------------------------------

Those are from between 1955 and 1992 and taken from: Paul Findley, Deliberate Deceptions: Facing the Facts About the US/Israeli Relationship (Chicago: Lawrence Hill, 1993).

So how can Israel hide behind one UN resolution regarding Hezbollah and that be called credible when they have violated so many UN resolutions themselves??? Here is a Resolution from 2003 regarding the occupation of Palestine:

October 21, 2003

ILLEGAL ISRAELI ACTIONS IN OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM AND THE REST OF THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

RECALLING its relevant resolutions, including resolutions of the tenth emergency special session,

RECALLING Security Council resolutions 242 (1067) of 22 November, 1967, 267 (1969) of 3 July, 1969, 298 (1971) of 25 September, 1971,446 (1979) of 22 March, 1979, 452 (1979) of 20 July, 1979, 465 (1980) of 1 March, 1980, 476 (1989) of 30 June 1980, 478 (1980) of 20 August, 1980, 904 (1994) of 18 March, 1994, 1073 (1996) of 28 September, 1996, and 1397 (2002) of 12 March, 2002,

REAFFIRMING the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force,

REAFFIRMING its vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders,

CONDEMNING all acts of violence, terrorism and destruction,

CONDEMNING in particular the suicide bombings and their recent intensification with the attack in Haifa,

CONDEMNING also the bomb attack in the Gaza Strip which resulted in the death of three American security officers,

DEPLORING the extra-judicial killings and their recent intensification, in particular the attack yesterday in Gaza,

STRESSING the urgency of ending the current violent situation on the ground, the need to end the occupation that began in 1967, and the need to achieve peace based on the vision of two states mentioned above,

PARTICULARLY CONCERNED that the route marked out for the wall under construction by Israel, the occupying power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, could prejudge future negotiations and make the two-State solution physically impossible to implement and would cause further humanitarian hardship to the Palestinians,

REITERATING its call upon Israel, the occupying power, to fully and effectively respect the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,

REITERATING its opposition to settlement activities in the Occupied Territories and to any activities involving the confiscation of land, disruption of the livelihood of protected persons and the de facto annexation of land;

1. DEMANDS that Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, which is in departure of the Armistice Line of 1949 and is in contradiction to relevant provisions of international law;

2. CALLS ON both parties to fulfill their obligations under relevant provisions of the Road Map; the Palestinian Authority to undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks; the Government of Israel to take no actions undermining trust, including deportations and attacks on civilians and extra-judicial killings;

3. REQUESTS the Secretary-General to report on compliance with this resolution periodically, with the first report on compliance with operative paragraph 1 to be submitted within one month and upon receipt of which further actions should be considered, if necessary, within the United Nations system;

4. DECIDES to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize the current President of the General Assembly to resume its meeting upon request from Member States.

I guess it's hard for me to see why "Israel is always forced to do something to defend itself" but it's neighbors are never forced to do the same thing? Israel is not innocent in all of this. Also why does Lebanon not have a right to defend itself if that the criteria that wants to be used? Israeli's have violated Lebanese sovereignty, violated Lebanese airspace, crossed into Lebanon this morning "Israel bombs Lebanese bridges and sends troops north into a region it occupied for more than 20 years, in response to the Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers. Just 10 miles south of Beirut, Israeli planes attacked a center Israel identified as a guerrilla base" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5552545

Isn't that an act of war, an act of agression under Israeli definition. This whole thing started because "hezbollah crossed the border". So if Lebanon decided to attack Israel it would be justifed too wouldn't it? (I think that if they did all hell would really break loose but just trying to make the point.)

[incanada1234 0]

“If you think what's going on in the Middle East today would be going on if the Democrats were in control, it wouldn't, because we would have worked day after day after day to make sure we didn't get where we are today. We would have had the moral authority that Bill Clinton had when he brought together the Northern Irish and the IRA, when he brought together the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politic...9-1m16dean.html

it worries me when the democrats talk about morals

Yeah, I don't think "democrats" and "morals" should be in the same sentence or anywhere NEAR each other in OTHER sentences.

[mercuryroad 0]

So if Lebanon decided to attack Israel it would be justifed too wouldn't it? (I think that if they did all hell would really break loose but just trying to make the point.)

At this point, I think they would! They are defending themselves and are a soverign nation. Remember....I said Israel was going too far with their reactions. However, I cannot blame them for taking the fight to Hezbollah when Lebanon was unwilling to. Again, you cannot allow a rogue terrorist group to invade your country and abduct and kill your soldiers without a response.

What if one of those soldiers was your brother? If Israel does nothing, then the message to their soldiers is that if you are captured, then you will die and we will do nothing to prevent it. If you negotiate, your message to the terrorists is that abducting soldiers is an acceptable action that will be rewarded.

But you still haven't answered my question. What should Israel have done in this situation? If you are as objective as you claim, then put yourself in their shoes and tell me what actions you would have taken in this instance.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

At this point they have little choice - but to 'respond in kind' to Hezbollah, yet as I said previously - whenever Israel engages in these sorts of punitive actions they invariably play into the hands of their enemies. Ultimately its all rooted in this never-ending game of 'he said, she said'. You notice of course, that it's always the other guy's fault.

So much for any sense of moderation, their discourse (rather similarly to ours) is ultimately dominated by extremists, and violence perpetuates it.

So if Lebanon decided to attack Israel it would be justifed too wouldn't it? (I think that if they did all hell would really break loose but just trying to make the point.)

At this point, I think they would! They are defending themselves and are a soverign nation. Remember....I said Israel was going too far with their reactions. However, I cannot blame them for taking the fight to Hezbollah when Lebanon was unwilling to. Again, you cannot allow a rogue terrorist group to invade your country and abduct and kill your soldiers without a response.

What if one of those soldiers was your brother? If Israel does nothing, then the message to their soldiers is that if you are captured, then you will die and we will do nothing to prevent it. If you negotiate, your message to the terrorists is that abducting soldiers is an acceptable action that will be rewarded.

But you still haven't answered my question. What should Israel have done in this situation? If you are as objective as you claim, then put yourself in their shoes and tell me what actions you would have taken in this instance.

Edited July 17, 2006 by erekose