To anonymous above, suggest you go back to the origins of this conflict and I mean around 1920’s. As a British citizen you will find some things there to hang your head in shame, eg Haj Amin al-Husseini, nazi war collaborator and criminal, uncle of Arafat, and responsible for bringing terrorism to the world as a method of bring the opposition to its knees in appeasement.

There is a two-state solution in place now – it is Israel and Jordan.

You have noted that the faux outrage of the world seems to either not be as effective or as loud as before, likewise you have noted several editorials in favor of Israel.

I submit that because our Arab friends choose to attack Israel proper it took the teeth out of the “occupation” arguement that was playing as propaganda. This has changed the stakes of the game to the point where Israel doesn’t have to worry about international pressue stopping things.

In addition the IDF has demonstrated quite strongly over the last few days that it can strike in Gaza whenever it is necessary or proper. Because there are no settlers to protect that gives the IDF an offensive ability while not providing static targets.

In the long run I still think it is a winner. I could be dead wrong but that’s how I see it.

If Israel wants to really make things interesting they can “accidently” demolish a larger section of the wall keeping our Pals out of Egypt then push hard and watch the river flow.

Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, has been working diligently toward a resolution to Israel’s current military incursion into Gaza. According to the Jerusalem Post, Mubarak’s efforts may, in fact, bear fruit:Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Frida…

Greetings from Denmark. We’re behind you, Israel!

Question, is Israel at war or not at war with the Palestinians? As per your comment most Paestinians believe they are at war. So what is Israel to do. If Israel does nothing than it only invites more attacks and makes such attackers heros. Also remember that Qassam Rockets continue to be fired into Israel, again an act of war. The problem is the Palestinian want blood, they want a war. Israel however will not give them one due to world popular opinion and the fact that they know it would be a slaughter. That war will eventually happen unless the Pal leadership understands it must stop these militant groups, but that is not likely. The Palestinians need to be defeated to the point that they see violence is no longer an option and the world needs to let them be defeated. Will innocent people and children be hurt and killed, of course, but that is the nature of war, its a horrible and a terrible thing. Unfortunately HAMAS and other militant groups do not care and as such has only promoted the terrorist culture of death. They will only stop killing when they themselves are dead.

As for the EU and other peoples concern that Israel has broken international law by arresting Hama MPs, Israel own attorney general has ruled the action is illegal and is looking to have them released.

Tell me are the PRC terrorist or soldiers?

i am taking it your comment regarding palestinians escaping into sinai on operation summer rains day 2 is just a bad joke – “How hard can it be to stop them? The Egyptians have weapons, don’t they?”

Not a joke, actually. The palestinians who escaped into Sinai were Hamas terrorists – not innocent civilians – so I would not have shed any tears had they been killed.

regarding increased support and understanding of israels position as a result of summer rains – of course you know how much hate and sorrow the conflict generates and clarity is one of the first qualities of a conflict to go. comment from the uk times showing the blurring of rhetoric in this conflict:

“I have no idea what truth is, but in the Middle East it is unquestionably filtered through the language used by – the uncharitable might argue – two victimocracies each convinced the world is more against them than the other side, and intent on filtering reality through their own linguistic veneer.

The sad case of Corporal Gilad Shalit – the Israeli soldier abducted by Palestinian militants at his army base on Sunday – is a case in point.

Israel’s terminology is of a ‘kidnap’, ‘hostage’ and ‘terrorists’ – a citizen grabbed by gunmen in a attack on Israeli soil, and held against his will by the militant groups Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committes and the Islamic Army.

However Hamas and ordinary Palestinians invariably talk of his ‘capture’ or ’seizure’, and of the – possibly injured – corporal as a ‘prisoner’.

They insist the raid was a military operation against a hard military target, conducted against an occupying power that regularly raids Palestinian homes and holds nearly 10,000 Palestinians under lock and key.”

easy propaganda, both sides get support. he finishes by hoping for the soldiers safe release. the independent (uk) records on the capture of democratically elected members of parliament:

“Israel dealt the severest political blow to Hamas since it won the Palestinian elections five months ago by arresting 64 of its ministers and parliamentarians in a series of overnight raids throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The majority of the faction’s most senior political figures outside Gaza were detained in an unexpected nocturnal sweep early yesterday, which Palestinians swiftly interpreted as a move to dislodge the Hamas government and which the Group of Eight industrialised countries said raised ” particular concerns”.”

we can speculate as to the “particular concerns” of the g8 countries – whether they believe such a move contravenes international law, or whether they think heavyhanded and apolitical actions of the idf will simply continue the bloodshed.

according to the (uk) financial times: “the european union said it was “deeply concerned” by the humanitarian consequences of the israeli action in gaza”. this is to do with the power station bombing. collective punishment but not a vote winner.

hamas have to move ground to recognise israel and through democratic process we can expect that to happen (see pressure piled on from abbas – within the palestinian power structure, not only from us/eu/etc).

israel could recognise a democratic process is starting and, like the political arena in ireland had to with the emergence of sinn feinn, they could work with the international community to ensure that the democratically elected government of hamas have no alternative but to recognise the state of israel.

this means not reacting when one might. wouldnt this make more sense than tit-for-tat killings, shellings, sonic boom attacks and operations that draw comparisons with the worst of racial persecution and atrocity, and that can mistakenly bully your own?

‚ÄúThe UN’s Middle East envoy, Alvaro de Soto, wrote to the Israeli high command this week saying he was “deeply concerned at the impact on children, particularly infants, of the use of sonic booms”. The Palestinian health ministry estimates the sonic booms have caused at least 20 miscarriages. “Sonic booms are an indiscriminate instrument, the use of which punishes the population collectively. We ask therefore that their use be stopped without delay,” the letter said.

The military was forced to apologise after one sonic boom was unintentionally heard hundreds of kilometres inside Israel last week. Maariv newspaper described it as sounding “like a heavy bombardment. The noise that shook the Israeli skies was frightening. Thousands of citizens leapt in panic from their beds, and many of them placed worried calls to the police and the fire department. The Tel Aviv and central district police switchboards crashed.”‚Äù (guardian 3/11/05)

or what about ‚Äúthe assault on the Palestinian town of Rafah two years ago when an Israeli cabinet minister said the army’s actions reminded him of how the Germans treated his grandmother.‚Äù (guardian 30/06/06)

instead of focusing on blame, revenge and racism (which again i think your blog stands out as not doing), whats the best WAY FORWARD?

Israellycool is liveblogging day 3 of operation Summer Rain. His on the scene perspective is absolutely fascinating, and provides some details that the MSM doesn’t seem too interested in reporting for some reason. Here are some details of his mo…