Earnie Shavers said:
I can't see these actions providing a single benefit to Israel. I think they've just gained themselves another generation who wants to wipe them off the face of the earth. That's my pro-Israel opinion. Military force will only ever provide the shortest of short term solutions to Israel's security problems and the safety of it's own citizens. Israel has every right to defend itself, and in my opinion has every right to crack it and go after a terrorist organisation like Hezbollah head on, but when you are dealing with a cycle of violence like this, where specificaly your retalitory actions are what gives the enemy it's greatest inspiration, drive and all of it's popularity and muscle, it is long term pointless. It is effectively handing the problem onto the next generation, refusing to meaningfuly deal with it yourself.
So your the leader of Israel, a terrorist organization has been coming into your country from across the border and trying to capture and kill your people on multiple ocassions. They are also rocketing your towns from across the border. No one in Lebanon will do anything about the problem. Supplies and extra military hardware are coming into this terrorist organization from other countries that don't recognize your right to exist and have in fact openly said your country should be wiped off the map. How many dead civilians and soldiers and terror do you plan to tolerate before you actually take military action to stop the totally unprovoked attacks on your country?
Everyone claims that Israel has a right to defend itself, but no one spells out what Israel is allowed to do in defending itself. Every action they take in defending themselves is criticized, despite the fact that current Israeli military action so far has been very restrained and limited, especially relative to past Israeli actions in its 58 year history.
Israel has succeeded for the past 58 years from preventing their country from being wiped off the face of the map. They did not achieve this plus become one of the most prosperous countries on the planet by avoiding military action or by the belief that in defending yourself, you simply make matters worse. Consider whether or not Israel would even exist today if it had not acted early, agressively with military force to defend itself in 1948, 1967, 1973 and other wars and conflicts.
Israel is prepared to live the way it has lived for the past 60 years for another 60 100, 200 years or more. Israeli society has grown and prospered despite all the events of the past 60 years. The West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, remain relatively poor countries that continue to be held back by those that support terrorism against Israel. After 60 years, why don't they try and do something that is actually constructive instead of continuing to drag the area's where they live into ruin and poverty by attacking a country that has every right to exist?
The questions and choices are for the Lebanese and Palestinians to make. They are the ones that live poorly because of 60 years of agression against Israel. Israel has what it wants, and will continue to advance further and further into the future leaving their neighbors in the past. Israel has faced far greater crises and defended itself well in the past and is ready to do so indefinitely into the future.
To those in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza who engage in their pointless attempts to destroy Israel, if you care about your childern, stop fighting and sending them to die in suicide bombing attacks against a country that has every right to exist. Instead, concentrate on building a new society that will benefit your family instead of sending them across the border into another country to kill themselves and other innocent civilians. If they want another 60 years of terrorism against Israel, and pain and suffering for their families and communities, then that is what they will get. But if they desire a better life for the families and communities, put down the suicide bomb belts and stop learning how to fire rockets into Israel. Find someone in your community to help and work to make their lives better instead of engaging in pointless terrorism that only makes their lives worse.