Some basic knowledge of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and US President Truman's diplomatic recognition of the re-born nation of Israel in 1948 should give at least some idea of Israel's legitimacy to exist.

Despite Israel's indiscretion in certain instances , the oveririding Hezbollah ideology is one which can't be tolerated, "Hezbollah's announced long-term objectives—the establishment of an Islamic republic in Lebanon, and the elimination of the State of Israel—have not changed." ( http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17060)

The chief tactic of this group is one of terror, chiefly toward Israel with Western countries far from immunce. Through the political process they are attempting to appease the local Lebanese population , "In view of these attacks [from Hezbollah] , the concerns of the American government are understandable. And Hezbollah's ideology—a fiery mixture of revolutionary Khomeinism, Shiite nationalism, celebration of martyrdom, and militant anti-Zionism, occasionally accompanied by crude, neo-fascist anti-Semitism—only exacerbates concern about the organization's potential for violence." ( http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17060)

This article is a typical example of placing all the blame at Israel's doorstep. It makes no mention of who provoked the 2006 war. Let's recall how things started. Hezbollah decided to mount a cross-border raid into Israel in which it killed several Israeli soldiers and captured 2 more. This came on the back of 6 years of intermittent rocket attacks on the northern part of Israel.

Again, I ask critics of Israel, what would you do in such a situation? Sit back and accept a growing military presence on your northern border OR take an opportunity to remove that threat?

Yes, Hezbollah was formed to resist Israel's presence in Lebanon. But hold on, Israel withdrew in 2000. Mission accomplished for Hezbollah? No, instead it decided to build up its military capability (with Iran's help) and continue to attack Israel. This is the real context in which the 2006 war began. Sadly, the author of the article chooses to ignore all of this.

Lev,

a body count does not necessarily tell the story of who's right and who's wrong. Superior firepower means that Israel will probably end up inflicting more casualties. Human shields used by Hezbollah may have contributed to more deaths in Lebanon. On the other side, every Israeli house or apartment building has a purpose-built shelter for protection against rockets - this saved many lives.

Hezbollah was directly targetting civilians by firing specifically at major population centres in northern Israel, not attacking IDF bases. Of course, the article here chooses to mention Israel's transgressions only

Notice how the author describes the Israelis as being 'killed', whilst the Lebanese are 'murdered'. He seems to have selective memory as well. I remember Condoleezza Rice calling for an end to Israel's campaign within 24 hours of it starting.

He quotes statements by Amnesty International(now a thoroughly discredited and politically biased organisation) that refer to 'indiscriminate bombing'. Contrary to being 'indiscriminate', the bombing was surgical in nature and aimed at infrastructure used by Hezbollah. The fact that Hezbollah operates from civilian enclaves ensures that civilians will be killed.

He also mentions 500,000 Palestinians who had their land 'stolen' in 1948. Prior to 1948 there were a little over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza. The average birthrate of Gazans is the highest in the world - 5.64 children per woman(they explain; 'each child will be a bomb').

Lastly, the Semitic race has been in Israel/Phoenicia for a lot longer than the so-called 'Palestinians'. Herodotus, writing in 450BC, said the city of Tyre was then 2300 years old.

Israel will never have peace until every so-called 'Palestinian' is repatriated to Egypt/Syria/Jordan, and the land they stole from the Jews returned.

the fact that he can't resist using the codeword "zionist" says it all. lowenstein is an uncle thomastein.

On no other subject are the boundaries of objective reporting more finely drawn than Israel. For thirty-five years at least, Palestinians have been denied a right to return to their homes,in breach of numerous United Nations resolutions and international law.

In demanding Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza, the Security Council used words strikingly similar to those that demanded Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait in 1990. When Iraq did not comply, it was attacked by an American-led coalition and Kuwait was liberated.
When Israel did not comply, it has received increased western,
principally American, economic and military support.

With honourable exceptions, events in Palestine are reported in the West in terms of two warring rivals, not as the oppression of an illegal occupier and the resistance of the occupied. The Israeli regime continues to set the international news agenda. Israelis are 'murdered by terrorists,' while Palestinians are 'left dead' after a 'clash with security forces.'

Distinction is rarely made between a huge, nuclear-armed military force with tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships, and crowds of youths with slingshots. (The suicide bombers are a relatively recent phenomenon, the product mostly of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which left 17,500 dead).

The BBC refers to Israel's policy of assassination as 'targeted killing,' the euphemism used by Israeli spokesmen. It is rarely reported that of the hundreds killed and thousands wounded --- 90 per cent have been Palestinian civilians, 45 per cent have been under eighteen, and 60 per cent were shot while in their homes, schools and workplaces...

Antony Loewenstein is a board member of Macquarie University's Centre for Middle East and North African Studies. As Dr Ilan Pappe, Senior Lecturer at the University of Haifa, Israel, and autrhor of "A History of Modern Palestine," wrote about the Antony's book, 'My Israel Question,' "... the book will serve as an essential guide for those who dare to criticise Zionist wrong doing in the past and Israeli policies in the present, without being deterred by false allegations of antisemitism."

I agree with Foxy when he/she says "Events in Palestine are not... reported as the oppression of an illegal occupier and the resistance of the occupied." The Jews have suffered oppression for thousands of years and the Palestinians are illegally occupying Jewish land.

Why does no one mention the fact that the so-called 'Palestinians' are only in Palestine because their antecedents murdered the Jewish inhabitants and stole their homes? As I point out above, the Semitic race have been in Phoenicia/Israel since at least 3000BC.

Arabs are marauding cutthroats whose sole occupation was brigandry and the ambuscade of travellers on the ancient trade routes from the East(as did their prophet Mohammad).

In later times they were slave traders, and everywhere they went they interbred with the locals (except in civilised countries like Spain, Austria-Hungary etc.) Winston Churchill describes Arab half-castes as a particularly 'debased and cruel breed'. No wonder they are such lovely, peaceful people nowadays. How lucky we are to be able to experience and enjoy their 'cultural traditions'.