imajulianutter,

You noticed the incorrect spelling of "Immature"; that gets you one plus point; keep up the good work, although it's a long way up to Zero.

p.s. I have "Spellcheck" too!

Is Mise

You don't know how to use your spellcheck. I deliberately misspelt another word to have a little giggle at your incompetence.

See below

Israel cannot win in Gaza. They might kill a few Palestinians and destroy a few buildings but at what cost?

The Palestinians have again won the propaganda war.

Israel looks criminal and the Palestinians heroic.(The west has made a distinction between HAMAS and Palestinians.)

Hamas has caused huge fear in Israel with the deaths of invincible IDF soldiers, taking one POW whose body will be traded for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, disruption to civilian life and the closing of Tel Aviv airport.

I'd say Israel killing 600 civilians, to the Palestinians and the wider world doesn't rate, given Israel's overwhelming superiority in weapons and funding. The flea is causing as much damage as a tsetse fly.

Time is the Palestinians ally and Israel's enemy.

Longer term the Palestinians will destroy Israel. Sheer weight of numbers through higher birth rates and the lack of sources for new Israeli immigration are massive elements and outside of Israel's control.

The Israeli expansionism is now recognised throughout the west. While western governments still support the Israelis, their populations are starting to question Israel's motives. That will increase. Governments will eventually respond to the peoples.

Israel has forgotten the lessons of history and the lessons it was taught in Lebanon and the other incursions into Gaza .

Israel forgets the nastiness it inflicts on Palestinians, when the boot is on the other foot, as times change as they always have, the Jews of Israel will be subjected to another progrom.

Will I then cheer, like the Israeli's sitting on plastic chairs watching the bombarding of Gaza?

No, I'll be sad because Israel could have treated the Palestinians with respect and created a peaceful co-existence where HAMAS and the PLO terrorists would never have gained any sort of support.

I won't be rushing to help in the plight of the Israelis either because they have bought their own destruction upon themselves (Sound familiar?)by their own short-sighted stupidity.

Imajulianutter,

"So you believe it ok for Israel to use force and means greater and more extensive than that used against it?"

Of course, absolutely. I cannot put it in stronger terms. It is utter stupidity to expect any nation that is attacked by an external force to dumb-down its defences and attack capabilities to match that of the enemy. Do you think this is a monopoly game where the two contestants must be matched at the start? Does it say so anywhere in the rules of warfare?

If Hamas does not wish to face a superior enemy, why pick a fight in the first place?

Ever heard of the idea of disproportinate forve?

No of course you haven't.

Do you acknowledge a blockade as an act of war?

No of course you don't.

Why don't you try thinking for yourself and reading a bit more broadly. You would then understand why we westerners are starting to really question Israeli actions.

The people of the world are tiring of Hamas, and it is clear that the vast majority of the world don't think of them as victims.

They have alienated Egypt, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan who have each given only a muted and token support. The western world has universally acknowledged Israel's right of defense and response.

If anyone thinks Hamas has won the propaganda they are seriously delusional.

Imajulianutter,

Disproportionate force? In relation to the systematic destruction of the Hamas terror infrastructure and arsenal of rockets? No, sorry. Hamas have been firing these rockets at civilians for many years now and must be stopped. Are you aware that civilians must not be targeted in armed conflicts, even if the perpetrators are Hamas that you seem to revere so much? Well they have been doing exactly that, repeatedly. Tens of thousands of rockets. Yet people like yourself are happy to allow these crimes committed by Hamas to continue, only to wake up from your indifference and scream blue murder when Israel finally decides to respond. Frankly I’m amazed that the Israelis put up with this for so many years.

You also raise the issue of the blockade, conveniently trying to manipulate the order of events to suit your narrative. Hamas violently took over control of the Gaza Strip, and made no secret of its mission to eliminate Israel. The blockade came as the results of these events, not the other way around. Did you expect anything different?