Does anyone have a better solution to Israel's grievances than war?

Question

Whenever I ask whether the war is right or wrong people have their opinions, but whenever I ask whether they got a better idea I get silence so anyone got a better idea. The UN is pathetically weak. The people of Lebanon support Hezabollah. This war is hard to solve. The goals are disarmament of Hezabollah militia and guarantee of no more attacks from Hezabollah, preservation of Israel and Lebanon, lasting peace, ect. I hope all I get is not silence.

Answer 1

There is no dealing with terrorism. Period! If only the left could figure this out before they blow up another building or kill another 3000 people in one shot.

Answer 2

I don’t know. That whole place is such a freaking mess at the moment, you got me. Since the issue is over two soldiers though, I would think there would be other avenues to try before all out war. On the other hand, the Hezabollah were clearly stockpiling weapons to attack Israel.

I think the key is coming to an agreeable settlement with the Palestinians, and it should have been done long ago when it was still possible. Technically, Israel managed to put Hamas in power.

Lebanon is a weak country, with a weak government. Settle with the Palestinians, and if Syria and Iran are still financing the fanatics, you go after them. Lebanon is not the problem, and cannot reign in the Hezabollah even if they wanted to. Frankly, I would go after Syria.

Starving out the Palestinians is not working either. If Israel were working to build up that economy, they would have a whole lot less problems there.

As long as you keep people pent up, with no future, you are going to get fanatics. And that has been Israel’s policy with the Palestinians for a long time now.

-Dio

Answer 3

War is probably the only realistic solution, but let me take a stab at some alternatives:

Disarmament of Hezbollah - the UN Security Council and the Arab League would have to work in concert to bring Hezbollah to the diplomatic table and begin a process of peaceful disarmament. This process would never end, but it would be more like the process between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the 80s, in which the process itself becomes an opportunity to routinely bring both sides together.

No More Attacks from Hezbollah - again, it would take unity within both the UN Security Council and the Arab League to press Hezbollah to cease their attacks. Israel could then begin a process of disengagement. Again, this would not be a short process. The soldiers would have to be returned as a good faith gesture or this process cannot be begun. Once both sides were disengaged, the international community would have to declare that any act of aggression by either side will be treated as an act of war against the international community by the offendor. For example, if Israel attacked Hezbollah without provocation afterwards, it would be considered at war with the entire UN. The result, if given sufficient teeth, would be a situation in which neither side could hope to win anything by an act of aggression.

As for preservation of Israel and Lebanon, an enforced peace by a very heavy-handed international force would be enough to deter either side from lightly entering into this downward spiral again. Further, as with many nations in the past, an end to active aggressions may bring about a lasting peace as both sides work towards rebuilding.

The issue that thwarts all of this is the key component in any lasting peace. Mutual respect. You don't have to like another nation, but you do have to show them respect or war is almost inevitable. And Hezbollah despises and disrespects Israel at every turn. Frankly, Israel doesn't treat Hezbollah much differently, but I don't want to get into that argument. The bottom line is that respect must be earned on both sides of this conflict and that just seems incredibly unlikely. Israel thinks military might will gain respect, but it won't work here. Hezbollah thinks defiant rhetoric will gain respect, but it won't work here either.

Ultimately, an extreme effort is needed to achieve respect. Something along the lines of an immersion program in which both sides exchange students for a year in grade school to learn about each other might work. People who grow up around each other and understand each other tend to respect each other. It's segregation of cultures that is at the heart of the conflict here, and both sides would do well to learn and teach each other's cultures to reach a mutual respect which is currently lacking.

Like I said... war is probably the only realistic short-term solution, but there are other ways.

Answer 4

You are right about the UN. Besides being pathetically weak, they are corrupt, judging from the kick backs they took from Saddam Hussein (Germany, France, China, Russia and others) and they seem to have no desire to really solve any real problems judging from their African military activity. The UN already ruled that Hezbollah could not amass the weapons they are now shooting at Israel!! They clearly won't do anything about enforcing that very ruling.
This latest conflict started when Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli soldiers. The obvious thing would be for them to give them back immediately: there would be an immediate ceasefire.
Lasting peace will come about only when the Islamists recognize Israel's right to exist and sign a permanent peace agreement. Why is this such a difficult concept?

Answer 5

Frankly, as long as the economics of the Middle East are in the toilet, there are going to be insurgents, guerillas, military factions, et al, doing whatever they want. So many of the people in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon have so very little, have no opportunities to have a secure existence. As long as that is so, these charismatic leaders will have followers. Israel is a flashpoint, but if Israel didn't exist, these military factions still would. They would simply turn their attentions elsewhere, such as at their own governments. In the end, it's all about the almighty dollar.

As for Hezbollah itself, no country can have two heads, and right now Lebanon does. Will the government of Lebanon assert itself, or has Syria stuck its nose in Lebanon's business so far that it is really just an extension of Syria, as managed by Hezbollah?

Answer 6

Very simply put, the Jews must learn not to be racists. The treaty ratified by the US Senate to end WWI with the Ottoman empire created three new countries. 1) Kuwait [annexation from Iraq] 2) Israel [Israel was a British territory until 1948] and 3) the creation of a country of Palestine. Number 3 has not happened and the Jews won't let it happen. Racism is what drives the Jews to barbaric violence, because they think they are 'Chosen' and all are races are subservient to them.
For centuries under Muslim rule the Jews prospered. Now they won't any non-Jew have the same rights that they once enjoyed from the Muslims.
If the US didn't give Israel billions in financial aid and give the Jews the military hardware for murdering non-Jew civilians, perhaps they would learn to play nice with their non-Jew residents in Israel and their non-Jew neighbors.

Answer 7

hey it's a complicated problem but this what I would do.

use bullets instead of bombs, i.e. when something like this happens be very targeted with my violence. No bombings, they only serve to radicalise the Muslim population, but hunt active members of Hezbollah. Do do this you would need a well functioning army of moles in the Arab nations, so invest heavily in Intelligence. Keep civilian causualties as close to zero as possible.

Try to make Isreal a good guy. Invest in the Palestinians (social services, infrastructure etc.) and work as quickly as possible towards the two state solution. Prosperous people aren't going to strap a bomb to their chests-

It make take a decade or so but certainly it would yield results. You need non-reactionaries in power. By the by, I'd use the same strategy for the "war" on terror.

Answer 8

How about Israel following International Law. That would be a good start.

Answer 9

America, they need to tell Israel the "stop this ****". Then Hezbollah can be taken care of diplomatically and the prisoners returned.

Answer 10

relocation out of palestine a nation stolen from its rightfull owners .
TILL every jew and his decendents are removed from the lands of the palestinian people there will be war .THE entire arab world wants and has supported the end to Israel.
THE sooner the better lets give them arizona .