Please note I was referring to the rockets that have been fired from Gaza, not southern Lebanon, which is basically what started this whole thing off anyway.

It's a fair bet that if Bush and the US supported the Arabs, the left would be sobbing over Israel instead of poor dear Lebanon whose only crime has been to harbour the Hezbollah terrorists. So predictable. The hatred for America extends to Israel.

I am not a Jew, nor do I have any particular brief for Jews but, like Anth, I am amazed at the restraint of Israel. Just how much longer can that country be expected tolerate the constant danger, threats of danger and the lunatic promises to wipe if off the face of the earth?

But Carl, that's the whole point. Israel pulled back from Gaza. And how did the Palestinians celebrate? By firing rockets.

Losers.

Martin

'Does anyone seriously dispute that if Iran backed Hezbollah gave up their vicious doctrine of Jihad there would be peace?'

While the Israeli's continue to try to steal areas of the West Bank then sadly I'd continue to have dispute there would be a fair peace.

In any democracy the majority rules. Unity is the key. The government governs and represents all groups in that democracy. You seem to think it ok to divide communities with in democracies. That's unreasonable.

2bob

A senario that includes another civil war in Lebanon...suits the Israelis more than anyone else.

Ted

'Hizbollah launched an unprovoked, premeditated assault across a clearly demarcated internationally recognized border into sovereign Israeli territory...'

Not quite accurate Ted.

The Israeli attack was, according to Israeli propaganda, provoked by the attack on one of it's military units which resulted in the deaths of 4 and the capture of two Israeli soldiers. That action took place, not in soverign Israeli territory but in a disputed part of SOUTHERN LEBANON. But the Israeli's wouldn't say that.

And Ted I think if groups of Israeli's settled in Ausrtalia, created 'Settlements' and then claimed their land belonged to Israel ... how would you react? I know how most fair dinkum Aussies would react.

And if Iran is up to it's eyebrows then why doesn't Israel bomb Iran instead of innocent democratic citizens in Lebanon? That would of course lead to a wider conflict and one Israel would lose in an even bigger way than the way it is currently losing to the Palestinians

Carl,

I agree we should not forget their predicament. The Palestinians have had an extreemly raw deal from the rest of the world over the last 60 or so years and there will be no permanent peace in the middle east unless that is addressed.

Unfortunately, in the here and now, there's just no getting around the fact that the Palestinians elected Hamas to represent them (by a landslide), and Hamas has behaved as they presumably expected.

Prior to the election of Hamas, the world could always put the terrorist actions, however popularly supported, down to rogue elements, but with the kidnapping of Shalit by the armed wing of Hamas, that pretext is gone. The Palestinians, through their elected representatives, have committed an act of war against their neighbour. That their effort was militarily pathetic and Israel is better armed and equiped, just makes Hamas's action all the more idiotic. It doesn't make it any less an act of war.

Can Israel realistically be expected to endure endless rocket attacks, etc, with no end in sight?

Funny, you could apply this justification for Israeli violent action to actions of the "insurgents" in Iraq. Want to try that, Ted?