Their aim, dear Neve, who writes this simply to publicise his book, is the same as ever. Revenge.

Israel revenges what Hamas did. Hamas will now revenge what Israel are doing. Same as they've been doing for 2000 years.

Revenge.

“But what exactly, one might ask, is Israel's mission?”

Israel’s mission is to defend itself against the Hamas lunatics and supporters. If Hamas and Palestinians in general feel that they are outgunned by Israel, or that Israel has ‘over-reacted’ to Hamas’s homemade rockets, then Hamas should stop firing rockets.

Hamas, not Israel, is killing Palestinian civilians, and many of these civilians support Hamas.

If wiping out Hamas is a “a totally unrealistic goal”, what realistic goal does Hamas have in firing rockets into Israel? The only realism there is that Israel will retaliate a thousand fold, as it can, and as it is entitled to. Israel has had to defend itself from Arabs since its inception.

The second, supposedly political reason given by this author? Well, would you vote for a government not prepared to protect you from terrorism?

The third reason – absolute rubbish.

The final one – irrelevant.

And, Israel should “talk with its enemies”! How many times have they tried that! How do you talk to lunatics! Who fired the first shot after the “peace” agreement ran out!

Three cheers for Israel. May they always be triumphant as long as they have to withstand the hatred of the Arab world and left-wing Western anti-Semites

Israels goal is to survive.

We have a whole generation today who fail to acknowledge that the UN gave that land to the Israelis.

Its their land under God and all of the madness of the arab world and all the unenlightend talk of this ages' young people isnt going to change anything.

God wins:)
Aint it great.

The Palestinians voted for Hamas in a free and fair democratic election.

WE MUST RESPECT THE DEMOCRATIC CHOICE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.

Hamas, unlike most political parties, has always been honest about its goals. What is more, to the best of their abilities, the leaders of Hamas have always tried their best to deliver on their promises. For Hamas' leadership there is no distinction between "core" and "non-core" promises.

What did Hamas promise?

--Hamas promised to conquer Israel by force.

--Hamas promised to declare war on Jews. Not on Zionists but on Jews.

From the Hamas "covenant."

"Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious."

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem)."

"Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes."

See: http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm

Hamas has been more open about its genocidal intentions towards Jews than Hitler ever was in Mein Kampf.

In short, the Palestinians voted for a party that promised them war.

That party delivered on its promise. They have war.

I am at a loss to know how the Palestinians, or anyone else, could have expected any other outcome.

Congratulations to S Meyer and Leigh for winning first and second prizes in a kneejerking competition.

First prize would be one week, all expenses paid(except medical) for you and your family at the best hotel in Gaza. Second prize? Two weeks.

Haveyou all forgotten that the state of Israel was created as abreach of the most basic UN charter...the right of self-determination?Or is it that qall of you are totally ignorant of the history of Palestine?

The creation of the state of Israel owes everything to the broken promise to lord Balfour that only by and through direct negotiations with the indigeneous Arab majority could the Zionists get a homeland called IsrAel. AND,also that nothing should be done to dispossess the Palestinian Arabs of their land and properties.

Ofcourse Balfour was only joking because when the Ziuonists began to break ALL undertakings he looked the other way.The British government went further by enabling the immigration of diaspora Jews to accelerate migration despite Arab warnings.

To their utter discredit the bloody UNO pretended that nothing illegal was taking place. The Zionist financiers who controlled commerce and wealth lobbied hard and long to get American support.

What is happening in Gaza is the price is being paid for in blood to claim legitimacy of basic rights guaranteed under the UN charter.

The Israeli Government is the de facto ruler of Arab land + whatever land the Jews held legitimately...which was very little,so little in fact that any state created there is unsustainable.
The Palestinians have the de jure rights of ownership but they will neveer gain that goal so the best thing would be for them to compromise and get the best deal they can, which will still be bugger all,but there is no other p[rospect sadly

socratease