[dda]

Diplomacy would have been a better way to handle world war II.

However, diplomacy only works if both sides are willing to use it. In the middle east, neither side is willing to use it. The Israelis are willing to rely on their military might. The Syrians and Iranis are willing to wage war through a proxy and are aiming at a public relations victory.

The Lebanese are caught in the middle.

Hezbollah launches rockets from civilian neighborhoods AT civilian neighborhoods and then cry foul when civilians get killed when the Israelis try to take the rockets out.

There is crying about civilian casualties though Hezbollah dresses as civilians and hides among the civil population.

Every time the Israelis have withdrawn from a territory, they have been rewarded with attacks from that territory. That they want defensible borders is not unreasonable.

Israel was attacked by what six arab nations on the date of its independence. Egypt only agreed to a diplomatic solution after it had gotten its arse kicked in several wars.

Israel fears, and rightly so, that a cease fire will only be used to rearm, regroup and attack them again.

Those like Flavius who wish to see the state of Israel cease to exist number just about every arab country and muslim country in the world. Where is the pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah? Where is the pressure on Syria and Iran to get the hell out of the matter? Israel was born in a corner of hate. That they fight should be expected.

Do you think that if Hezbollah put down their arms that Israel would randomly blow up Lebanese civilians for recreation?