Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Opinions, anyone?

They haven'tr found Osama Bin Laden either, but does that mean he doesn;t exist?

The WMD may or may not exist. If they do, they are well hidden, and they won't turn up anytime soon. Their appearance would turn the tide of world opinion in favor of the American action, which would certainly change the course of the war.

But back to Israel. Hammas has been sending missiles into Israel for years, so it's obviously an overreaction on Israel's part to finally take military action to take away Hammas' ability to do so. Ande obviously, the Israeli troops should not bomb a school simply because Hammas was launching missiles from it and caching munitions there.

Do I ignore Hammas' reasons for taking their actions? Perhaps. I have not heard much in the way of justification for using civilians, including children, as shields, or for launching missiles at Israeli civilians. Those reasons may exist, but I have not heard them, nor can I conceive of a justification that is in accord with my own beliefs about the value of human lives.

 

War is inherently irrational. There is always an aggressor and always an aggrieved party that fights back. If the aggressor is not resisted, then tyranny takes place...Nazis, Idi Amin in Uganda, the Taliban, Sadam Hussein...these are good examples of despots who took advantage of a lack of resistance. If there IS resistance, then there is war and innocents will always be among the victims.

What is the alternative to war? Whose side is "right"...the aggressor or the aggrieved? How does the rest of the world decide to get involved with a local dispute, and more importantly, what is the rest of the world's basis for authority in such actions?

Presently, wars are fought until one side is destroyed or decides to quit. Hamas will never quit. Israel will never be defeated. Under present war theory, this war has no forseeable end.

 

I don't think there's a single non-Fox News analyst who seriously believes the WMD exist in anything like the form that was claimed*. A 45 minute readiness to strike doesn't disappear into thin air at the push of a button.

*ie, at all.

In a completely non-patronising way: That's probably because you live in a healthy country that isn't suffering the effects of war. One you're inside the conflict - once you're invested - it becomes almost impossible for people to break free of the cycle. It's like fish in water - they don't see or think about the water, it's simply the way the world is. Winning is not a goal, it's the only goal. Violence and retaliation become the defining conditions. Humanitarian values become a side issue, or a convenient fiction.

 

Hi, There is no black and white in this conflict- both sides have done appauling things. This area has always been, and probably always will be a geopolitical volcano due to its religious significance to both sides. Even my JUDEA CAPTA novel shows the volatile nature of conflict in this region. Although I do think Israel has a right to defend itself from rockets, I do wonder whether its methods are overkill. A 2 state solution will be the best solution to this conflict but the Palestinians themselves are divided between Hamas and Fatah. Both sides must find tolerance and understanding of each other and maybe this will one day be solved