A thoughtless & inaccurate article - I can't believe the editorial team published it!
The author needs to do his research to have a better understanding of the al-Qaeda's phenomenon - it has little to do with Israel, the US & for that matter Australia (we did get mentioned for our involvement in East Timor). It has everything to do with their Islamist ideology - to create an Ummah - an Islamic kingdom/nation throughout the world!
The author also apparently believes that we should cave in to terrorists demands - otherwise our troops would be greater targets. What nonsense.
I could go on & on but no real point responding to this nonsense!

I’m getting sick and tired of comments like “This time Israel has really overstepped the line” from idle chatterers sitting comfortably well away from the threats and attacks Israelis have had to endure for generations. If someone was trying to kill people like Haigh, they would soon find out that there are no ‘rules’ to self-defence.

“Hamas is the product of generations of abuse and frustration by Israel against Palestinians.”

What absolute drivel. Hamas is the terrorist product of fanatical Islamists who hate everybody and everything not like them.

We see more drivel in Haigh’s fourth paragraph: nonsense about Israel’s supposed scuttling to get something done before Christmas was over, and the coming exit of the “morally bankrupt” (talk about purple prose!) Bush administration.

Forget about the 60 or so Russian and Iranian rockets being fired by Hamas into Israel every day, and the long-standing threats of Arabs and plain terrorists to wipe Israel off the map. No – it’s all Israel’s fault for having the temerity to defend itself and its people! How dare Israel use “disproportionate” force, squeal people like Haigh, as if they themselves would play by Queensbury Rules if they or their families were attacked by a gang of thugs.

And, who says that Israel lies? This is another figment of the loony left imagination: it’s all part of the plain as the nose of your face campaign against Israel by people who represent the ‘sophisticated’ wing of the anti-Israel, pro Arab extremist movements. Never a word against Hamas and other terrorists groups; and sympathy for the people who elected Hamas when they are killed and maimed by another country defending itself from their wonderful representatives.

And, of course some Jews oppose Israel’s action in Gaza. They are the same self-hating lefties we have in all democratic countries and, almost certainly, they don’t live in the towns which are constantly bombarded by Hamas rockets. And, like Bruce Haigh, they probably continually criticise their own Governments. In Haigh’s case, given his career experiences, it is odd that he thinks our Government will do what he wants

There are probably no lines for Israel to overstep. Whatever atrocities Israel commits "defending itself" from the relatively defenceless Palestinians will be ignored or rationalized by the US. With America on its side Israel doesn't need to care about world opinion so it will continue to oppress the Palestinians and steal their land. Israel should be treated the same way as the former apartheid regime in SA.

Leigh,

so Israel doesn't lie, really, and presumably the sun shines out of every Israeli's "you know what". I have this treasure map guaranteed by the Israeli government, a real bargain.

Looks like a couple more righty freaks who care little about the revelatory historical insight revealed by John Falconer et al.

In fact, certainly could recommend a good solid historical course for those first mentioned.

The lesson is of course, never to use foresight without proven historical insight to back it up.

True Middle Roader, BB, Buntine, WA

Not only did Israel not 'step over' any line....they have not gone anywhere near far enough!

The only solution to this problem is the total elimination of HAMAS.

HAMAS deserve as much sympathy as those taken before the Nuremberg war crimes tribunals. "We" (the Allies) captured then KILLED the following:

Martin Bormann
Hans Frank
Wilhelm Frick
Herman Goering
Alfred Jodl
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Wilhelm Keitel
Joachim Von Ribbentrop
Alfred Rosenberg
Fritz Sauckel
Arthur Seyss Inquart
Julius Striecher.

TO THESE NAMES we may add the following in due course.

Khalid Mishaal
Ismail Haniya
Mahmoud Zahar
Abu Obeida

The crimes are the same.. "attempted genocide of the Jewish race"

It matters not that HAMAS is a crappy little gang of thugs.. what DOES matter is their ideology and determination to carry it out no matter what.

ABU OBEIDA (Qassan brigades) said in a HAMAS video.

"We are still in good shape.. we will continue firing our rockets at your towns and their range will become ever greater"

This man has confessed publically to attemping to murder uncountable civilian Jews.. and thus must be punished for it (along with the others) in line with our treatment of NAZI'S in Nuremberg.

The essay says:
"For Israel to have created more instability and uncertainty in the Middle East is irresponsible and selfish in the extreme ..."

With great respect, Mr Haigh, "Israel" has not created or destroyed anything. It is actors in the current Israeli administration and the current command of the IDF who allow shameful acts to continue. There may be a caucus in these bodies, but I doubt there is consensus.

Selfishness is a human trait. Nations cannot be selfish any more than genes can be selfish. Neither nations nor genes have the ability to question, or feel ashamed; nations are no more human than a bear scavenging on a garbage dump.

Germany felt no shame after WWII, but many Germans certainly did. I pray that some actors within the state of Israel will bring their colleagues to heel, before it gets any later. It is already too late.