The guilt of Hamas is undeniable,but it’s difficult to accept this response by Israel as due to Hamas rockets given the timing. We have always supported Israel in my family, but it’s better for all of us to be objective.

We have lost the trust and admiration of much of the world because of our militaristic actions which gives us less credibility and influence in bringing about a peaceful solution in the ME. How can we find a solution fair to both parties, Israel and Palestine, if we don’t consider a Palestinian State?

My dad use to make my siblings and I sit in the middle of a room and hug and kiss for an hour after a fight. That was PURE TORTURE! There’s nothing worse than having to sit down and hug and kiss someone you were just having a hair pulling fist fight with, but it did stop the fights….because no one wanted to have to sit down and hug and kiss each other again! LOL.

Maybe the world community should make Olmert and the Hamas leaders sit down and hug and kiss each other for a few hours/days/weeks/months (until peace happens) . Like that would ever happen? Hamas would rather blow themselves up before EVER hugging or kissing a DIRTY JEW. That’s how deep the hatred runs with Hamas.

Israel is just accepting help/support from whomever is willing to give it. They know what’s up with the RW religious wackos. They’re using each other.

Golda Meir captured it decades ago with her observation that has become a truism: there will not be peace until they love their children more than they hate our children.

Here’s the Hamas Charter (It’s a VERY long read): http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm

I wonder if Israel has a final solution planned for the day when the Palestinians can be compressed no further and lash out that one last time?

There was so much outrage over the Russian invasion of Georgia simply because it was Goliath vs David. Was Georgia the provocateur? Most of the world condemned Russia since it seemed to be an unreasonable response to a smaller, weaker country, although I believe the US was attempting to provide military aid.

Every time an issue is presented to the UN Security Council condemning Israel, the US uses it’s power of veto. Israel is the strongest country in the Middle East and it’s greatest ally, the US, is the most powerful country in the world. Our country has supported Israel with military aid for decades.

The questions arise when we are left to wonder if the situation is driving our foreign policy to the determent of our country. It makes it difficult to find a peaceful solution if we aren’t willing to pressure both sides of the conflict and our government is really the only one which can make a difference.

Most Americans have been strong supporters and until recently have not questioned our policy. The war with Lebanon was a failure, not simply because Israel failed to accomplish it’s goal, but many of us were shocked by the videos of large bombs going off in Beirut knowing there were civilians living there who were not Hezbollah.

Reports of civilians killed by cluster bombs after the end of the conflict were, for the most part ignored by the press here. Aside from the deaths, many lost their homes and parts of Beirut were leveled.

No one is asking Israel to “turn the other cheek”, however, I would like some examples of their efforts to reach out to their other Arab neighbors to effect a diplomatic solution. The country’s right to exist has been recognized by Jordan and Egypt. Saudi Arabia and their neighbors to the east have, publicly at least, tried to remain neutral, but the anger is spreading.

Why don’t you take a moment to think about Palestine? Israel has slowly been expanding the settlements on the West Bank, bulldozing the homes of people who have lived there for centuries and now, some have crossed into Egypt for food and medical care because they are walls separating them from the help they need. Israel is a rich and powerful country while the Palestinians are living in poverty so why was the West so surprised they elected a government which promised them a better life and dignity? Are Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia friends to the Palestinians? They have no friends, not simply because of Hamas, but because they have nothing to offer. No oil, no geographic advantage to the west. They are just an impediment to Israeli expansion. They weren’t even responsible for the war in which they lost their land.

I don’t know how I would feel if I have family in Israel so I’m not sure I have a right to challenge you and it is a difficult situation and you offered no ideas as to the solution. I would be interested in knowing what you think is fair to both sides in a permanent way if Hamas were not a factor.

Icelandic Pm to Israeli Pm 1995 = “Welcome. You are the Chosen people & we are the Frozen people”.

Other than that what the f***k is it all about?

Its The Chosens & the rest of us. But not beleiving in God makes ,for me ,just a land grab.

Only 31% of Democrats support Israel in its effort while 62% of Republicans do. These numbers are quite ironic because the “peace loving” Dems are acting against their own intent but so are the hawkish Repubs. The peace process would lead to a much weaker Israel. By unseating Hamas from power in Gaza, the peace process, AKA the Saudi peace plan, could move forward which would divest Israel of all remaining acquired territories. The US under Obama could well distance itself from Israel and cut off or reduce aid once the new state of Palestine is created.

If you’re pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel, as a lot on the left are, you should be anti-Hamas and pro-Israel in this war.

Personally, I’m a very pro-Israel secular Jew who wants to see Hamas crushed but it may not be in Israel’s long term interest to go along with the Saudi peace plan. Maintaining the status quo might be better in the long run.