The IDF might win by force, but they will loose it on moral grounds.
When will this insanity stop?

Heard on the news today that people living in the range of Hamas rockets are cheering, for revenge and for actions to the put an end to the rocket bombing. I am afraid Israel will have to go all the way – the Palestinians will never give up their old home lands, that is for sure now. So the IDF is doomed to try to kill them all. Of course that is no guarantee for its survival. No country will ever last for thousands of centuries, whatever their actions.
Obama can you come to help for a more moderate, even temporary, solution? Too much horror, the horror.

Rivers of blood

On teletext today: 14 children killed in Afghanistan, 45 people slaughtered in Congo, 1518 people died of cholera so far in Zimbabwe, 26.000 more infected...
Who will stop Hamas, Israel, Mugabe etc. etc. etc.???
Obama? Another Ghandi? The United Nations? A universal King? A Messiah?

Excellent action by the IDF. This will show the Palestinians that shooting Hamas rockets is pointless, dumb and unnecessary. I am sure that all the people who lost relatives today will go home and suffer in silence. History has proven that repressed people with no future can be pushed to be model citizens by the use of violence.

I think Israel should be clearer about its objectives. Peace is obviously not one of them.

Sander

I find your comment somewhat comforting.

Arnon

Is it the irony or the suggestion that there might be a rational motive behind these actions that comforts you?

Sander

Your realism and lack of outrage are somewhat comforting.
By the way, some people do suffer in silence.

Sander

Personally, I don’t find your comment quite comforting.
Off course the Hamas have learnt their lesson, and most people with family loss will suffer in silence, maybe some of them will suffer in priers. Maybe some will try to revenge, and suffer with strapped-on dynamite in a public cafeteria and commit suicide, killing even more innocent people. To say that such an objective and transparent thing like “History” can proof anything but the fact that nothings predictable, I find quite amazing.
“History has proven that repressed people with no future can be pushed to be model citizens by the use of violence.”
Scary sentence. History has also proven that a failing artist from Vienna, with no thorough education or military rank, can be responsible for the death of 55 million people in a world war. It has proven that dropping an atomic bomb, and with it kill thousands of innocent people, can end a war. History has proven many things which I hope will never occur again.

If there’s one objective Israel should be clear about, it should be that they're trying to find peace.

I have nothing to say.

I recommend reading the last interview with Ruth Gavison

in Ha'aretz.

Dens

I used to read you as 'Dense' but I liked your last comment in this post.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/israel_and_gaza.html

Sander

Thanks!

The more I read about this old and new war, the more I understand the direct reasons for Israel to invade the Gaza strip, having 'tolerated' 8000 rockets in the last few years.
But then I remember why the Palestinians fire the rockets, partly out of hate, mostly out of shear frustration and lack of any other options after the blockade of the Gaza strip.
And then I try to remember why Israel started blocking the strip. And then it becomes blurry. For every action there seems to be some kind of rational explanation, on both sides. I guess that is the tragedy of war, that both sides can't let go of the past, of all the atrocities committed.
There is no clear loser. And therefore no winner that can generously help the losing side to rebuild their future too, together in peaceful co-existence. They do not share a dream and therefore it will be extreme moderation and discipline, or extermination of the weakest party. I don't think much will change.