Hezbollah means "party of god". Iran under Ahmadinejad believes that they are under a divine mission ushering the return of the "Hidden Imam", the Mahdi. "One of the first acts of Mr Ahmadinejad's government was to donate about £10 million to the Jamkaran mosque, a popular pilgrimage site where the pious come to drop messages to the Hidden Imam into a holy well."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/1507818/'Divine-mission'-driving-Iran's-new-leader.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7255602.stm

Hezbollah and Iran represents the irrational extremist fringe of Shia Islam. They are under the delusion that they represent 'god'. It is impossible to reason with them. Seems that the only way for secular and rational Israel to deal with them is through using brutal force.

Good article. The despicable Hezbollah thrives on hate, inspired by the hate speech towards Jews in their holy book. They knew very well what they were doing when they kidnapped the two Israeli soldiers in 2006, and they would have continued had Israel not reacted. They wanted to provoke a war to recruit more hate, as it is their only means of existence. They were happy to hide amongst civilians, thus ensuring a high number of casualties amongst the population. Any child killed was exposed as a martyr for Allah. And this despicable organisation is supported by the looney left all over the Western world. I want to state clearly that everybody has the right to criticize Israel, but if you feel any sympathy for an organisation that treats a thug who happily smashed the head of a four-year old kid with a rifle as a hero, you are as despicable as Hezbollah themselves.

1.Why Israelis did not negotiat with Hezbollah for its two soldiers and attacked Lebanon? What changed and they did it now?

a. At begin Israelis underestimated Hezbollah's resistant and weapons, they did many mistakes and ...lost the war! Of cause they had the power to win the war but they did not know what exactly they wanted from this war, they have not clear goals, clear plans.
b. In many countries, from ancient years, there is a holy duty to bring back their soldiers, dead or alive, when Israelis failed to bring back their soldiers with the war they did it with negotiations.

2. Iran improved its power and harden its diplomacy for the following reasons.
a. USA have huge problems in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and they can not start an other war.
b. They can block the flow from more than 40% of the world oil and create huge problems to USA and other developed countries
d. The close ties between Iran and Shiites in Iraq, who are the majority in Iraq. Any attack against Iran will have major cost for USA in Iraq.
e. The close ties between Iran and Hezbollah, any attack against Iran could mean an attack from Hezbollah against Israel, it seems they have enough and strong waepons!
f. The long distance Iranian missiles creates an additional threat for the Israel as Iranian can hit any part of Israel.
g. There are not credible informations if the Iran has nuclear weapons or when they can make one.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

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CONTINUE

3. Israel status today.

a. Israelis know that the time works against them.
1. Because USA are in decline and there is no guarantee that USA will support them for ever.
2. Other major countries as European Union advices Israel to follow the way of negotiations as the best solution for their problems with Arab neighbors.
3. Israelis start to fill tired from the wars and militarization from their life and try to find a way FOR PERMANENT PEACE IN THEIR REGION. They are moving to two directions one to become member from European Union, already they did big steps to this direction but they know that EU wants from them to forget military solutions from their problems and Israelis start to understand that USA are their best adviser and found other countries as Turkey to promote their relations with their neighbors.
4. Israelis do not have any border with Iran and their relations with Persians was very good from ancient years. Israelis has problems with Arabs, with Sunnis and I do not understand why they has opened an other front with Iranian Shiites. Iran is a threat for Arab Sunnis not for Israel. Forget Iran's rhetoric, they could become best friends from Israel!
5. Israelis MUST become member from European Union and of cause MUST respect the interests from their neighbors and sign peace agreements with them. If they can not let's European Union do it for them.
6. I think Israel relations with their neighbors has entered in a new level with more visible goals for a permanent, peaceful solution.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

P.

The point is not what will happen to Iran: for their rulers don't seem to care.

The point is what is Israel's future with a nuclear armed Iran.

I agree if US troops are targetted by Iran then the consequences would be dire.

I don't think any US president would allow a nuclear attack to simply to avenge Israel. The consequences would be too great.

Serbia and Iran have significant differences. Iran is likely nuclear armed.

Examinator,

>> “There is a difference between having a long perspective than misusing a single incident and extrapolating from there”

The long perspective is filled with incidents exactly like this one. It requires no extrapolation, only interpolation.

Your critique of the article is empty. Without giving concrete examples of these supposed fallacies, it is a pointless exercise.

I have no more agenda than anyone else. I support Israel, although not unconditionally. On the evidence available it is clear to me that Israel is doing what it can to ensure the security of its people. I believe if it were a western country in Israel’s position that the fighting would be a lot more bloody, and there would be far less adherence to international law.

So is Israel perfect? No. But Israel is so much better than its enemies that it seems totally unfair to hold Israel to standards, which might see the country disappear, whilst expecting, and accepting the worst from Israel’s enemies.

I think the solution lies in a negotiated settlement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel that results in a two state solution. Maybe in 50 years when all the fighting is forgotten the countries could merge if both wanted it. Until then two states is the optimal solution.

The one state solution is the solution of the US and Israel haters of the left. They have seen their allies lose in battle over a long period and have now decided that the best way to destroy Israel is by making it majority Arab. Never mind that the one state solution is the preferred model of Hamas and all of the other Arab enemies of Israel. This solution has been dressed up in the language of democracy and morality, whilst those proposing it must KNOW, that true pluralitic liberal democracy has NO CHANCE in a single state ruled by Hamas.

These people say, “Oh but Hamas won’t be the gov’t”. I haven’t yet heard any sensible explanation on how exactly it would be prevented.

So who is Israel's partner in peace?