Is the Israeli repsonse to Hezbollah excessive?

[Rhisiart]

As someone who supports the state of Israel, I am horrified at the use of extreme force to rescue their captured soldiers. Wouldn't negogiations been a better first step, using military action if this failed?

(See also this post).

[bbloke]

The current situation has roots going back hundreds of years and I don't think there is one clear cut aggressor or victim.

While it is not too difficult to understand why the Israelis feel threatened and tend to overreact, as they feel their very existence is under threat, it is very hard to support their actions, when one hears of the details... There is a lot that we don't tend to hear on the news, we just tend to hear about one side mounting an "attack" and the other side mounting a "response." We hear a lot less about living conditions and about daily oppression.

In answer to your question, I'd say that, yes, the Israeli response has been excessive. They are not just penalizing those who might have been involved in the action against Israeli forces, but now killing and oppressing civilians on a much larger scale.

Where will this lead? To more resentment, and more people wanting to fight against Israel, no doubt. As "moderates" become "radicalized" (to put things simplistically) when events hurt them directly too, then we have more violence. And then Israel will respond to that too. And so on. Violence will beget more violence.

War, assasinations, oppression, and torture do not solve underlying problems, they merely keep the lid on things temporarily while the political situation reaches boiling point underneath...

There was quite a good article on an Australian web site, here.

[ora]

Yes, it is. I have to say i don't support the _current political state of israel_ in any way, though i do support the existence of an Israeli state.

Not only is the response excessive, but the rhetoric all reeks of hypocrisy. It drives me nuts the way Israeli spokesman quote UN resolutions against theirt enemies while ignoring the many directed agaisnt them and their various illegal occupations. Return to pre '67 lines or something close is the only basis for peace i can see, plus stopping strangling Gaza (they've withdrawn but essentially can still cut off the whole province at will).

None of this is to say i support the terror tactics of Hezbollah or the military arm of Hamas, they are as repugnant as the Israeli right wing and IDF.

Lets all hope this stops soon.

[JimmyP1]

I disagree with the above posters so far. Israel continually has it's existence threatened especially by a subhuman group of people left in Palestine. All the smart Palestinians have left with their money and are waiting until conflicts settle down. Israel left a lot of good starting businesses in Gaza when they pulled out months ago, for these Palestinians to work with and what did they do: tore them apart to sell the pieces instead of trying to keep whole businesses together so all could have some jobs, some money. I think the Israelites know these people well enough to know what they will understand, to get them to stop attacking the Land Of Israel.

[Rhisiart]

Originally Posted by JimmyP1

Israel continually has its existence threatened especially by a subhuman group of people left in Palestine.

Feck me! Sub-human?!!!! That's a seriously nasty term to use.

There are plenty of uneducated and poor people in my neck of the woods and they are not all destructive. Some are, some aren't. You're generalising.

Israel falls into the same trap as the West, i.e. that old Cold War thing where territory is everything (borders, security etc.). It isn't anymore. You can't live in a cocoon.

You have to negotiate and make compromises.

This Old Testament obsession with an eye for an eye just won't do anymore.

And as for Hezbollah, wouldn't it better to follow the teachings of the Koran?

[ora]

Jesus, that was a extreme. I hold strong views of the situation but not like that. I just get angry as i visited parts of the area when i was younger and met so many people on both sides who were bone tired of conflict and just wanted to live. Extreme groups on _both_ sides are ruining chances of this happening.

[Mobius Rex]

Israel continually has it's existence threatened especially by a subhuman group of people left in Palestine

Excuse me, but your racism is showing, JimmyP1!
Israel is engaged in a process of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories. Israel regards the Palestinian people(that's right, they're people, human beings just like you and me, JimmyP1) as subhuman trash, just as you do. Israel is guilty of systematic atrocities against the Palestinian people, men, women and children, atrocities which are designed to break the back of their will to resist occupation, and to make life so intolerable for them that they all will leave Palestine. Israel wants their land, all of it, for "Greater Israel".

[reed]

What is the ratio between Israeli soldiers kidnapped and civilians killed both in Gaza and Lebenan so far? Just curious.