<A great analogy indeed, assuming that the person walking down the street, the one that gets beaten up, is also the person who gives food and shelter to the mugger and encourages him to rob people, cheering, clapping and dancing when someone does get mugged... in which case, I shall say again, the shotgun directive should be applied. >

First of all, please understand that I am not anti-Israel. I am Jewish. I have an aunt in Tel-Aviv whom I have been speaking to on the telephone once a week for 40 years. I have visited Israel a few times. I have a third cousin who is at the front in Lebanon and a second cousin who is a physician caring for the war wounded on both sides. I am stunned and horrified at the ignorance of my fellow Jewish Americans when they bad-mouth Zionism without realizing that Zionism was the beginning of civil rights for Jews world wide, and I am utterly disgusted at the way Americans think that somehow Israel is America in the desert, and that Israel paralels American histroy with the Native Americans. There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of pig headed ignorance.

I also understand that your neighbors see Israel as America in the desert, and that Israel is taking the heat for the Bush follies in Iraq, and that the current violence in Lebanon has more to do with Bush's stupidity than any "blood thirst" in Israel. Unlike other Americans, I understand that the Middle East is not Europe. It is almost impossible to negotiate with neighbors who feel as if they are in no way bound by the dictates of their government. You negotiate with one faction of the Palestinians, and another faction goes raiding into your legal settlements. You talk peace with Lebanon and Hezbollah begins shooting rockets into the 1967 borders. How the hell are you going to deal with something like that?

This is made worse by the utter stupidity of many so-called American liberals who like G.W. Bush, think they have the right to impose their will on a foreign government by protesting in a war zone, and then yelling in shock when some of them get hurt. What do they expect? It's a war zone. I am also appalled at this American attitude that somehow your neighbors are comic book victims waiting for Captain America to save them. Nobody forced Hezbollah to accept those missles from Russia and from Syria, and nobody forced Hezbollah to fire them at civilians.

With that said, I do not see how Israel's response is going to make Israel one bit safer. Yes, you can blow Lebanon to hell, but 20 years later they will be back on their feet firing missles at Israel again. Only next time there will be more Hezbollah and more and bigger missles. The hard liners will probably not be elected in the next Iranian election, but you always have Syria and Saudi Arabia, and their bizarre fantasies ablout recreating the Ottoman Empire.

Frankly, I do not see either logic or sense in supporting either the Israeli government nor Israel's neighbors in this current fracas. I do not understand how killing innocent women and children is going to make Israel one bit safer or assure its future survival. At the same time I do not see any sense in supporting Israel's neighbors in their imaginary and religiously motivated war against Israel. Both sides have committed sufficient atrocities to cause the ret of the world to say stop. This is it. Not one dime to either side. Not one gun to either side. Not one single bullet, and if you are going to continue this, then you can continue it without our help or support. I feel that the American part in this fracas should be as mediators to assure the safety and security of Israel and its neighbors.

Also keep in mind that the end of foreign aid to Israel is inevitable. Bush and his idiocies at home and abroad has bankrupted the United States. We have such a deficiet that I will be amazed if the U.S economy doesn't collapse. Right now the foreign aid the U.S is sending to Israel has been borrowed from the Chinese. Keep that in mind while you support your war.

BTW, I do wish you and yours well. I hope you and your family are safe from the violence. My views are not based on any hatred of Israel. These are the views of a proudly Jewish peace activist.

yes..agreed!

Neither through surrender of Jewish land or release of murderers from prisons.

Hopefully, that.

I'm so glad you took the opportunity to make a sarcastic comment about the poster's style and turn it into a personal insult against me.

Tool.

They won't as long as Israel is kicking them when they are down.

<...it's my butt on the line,...>

You mean you actually signed up to serve in the military? That would be a first for Tribe righties.