Middle East conflict. What is Israel thinking?

Question

If Israel does not know where their missing soldiers are being held why risk killing them with bombs? And If Israel does know where their soldiers are being held why not go into that territory and bring them home instead of dropping bombs. There is no sense in the current bombings. Israel are responsible for the innocent lost of life on both sides in this current war. If they had not started bombing Palestine and Lebanon Hamas and Hezbollah would not be sending missles into Israel. Yes Hamas and Hezbollah started aggression with the capture of soldiers but the Israeli response brought the war to civilians on both sides. This current war could have easily been kept on the battle field where it belongs. Israel should man up and send in "the required amount" of ground troops to bring their soldiers home instead of cowardly flying above and "accidentally" dropping bombs on the UN and innocent civilians. Agree or disagree?

Answer 1

Israel has taken the war to the terrorist instead of allowing them the control. The bombing is a statement, one we should have made after 9/11. Lebanon knew the risk when they chose to allow Hezbollah a sanctuary; the killing of innocents is collateral damage. I pray for the innocents in this conflict but agree with Israel's retaliation.

Thank you for your question and your view, it was well written.

Answer 2

To directly quote you, "Yes Hamas and Hezbollah started aggression with the capture of soldiers". That is the single most important statement in your message, yet you mention it almost in passing.

It seems you may be unaware of the specific actions Israel has taken to warn civilians in Hezbollah-occupied areas by using pamphlets dropped from airplanes. A government with the intent of intentionally targeting civilians would not bother with such a gesture. Is there any record that Hezbollah has ever attempted to warn Israeli civilians before launching rockets into Haifa or other Israeli cities?

It is terribly unfortunate that innocent civilians are being killed ON BOTH SIDES of this conflict. It's strange you make no mention of the rockets Hezbollah is launching into Israel. You only mention the Israel's actions as if the fight is one-sided.

No one can deny that Hezbollah threw a big rock at a hornet's nest here. Israel's response was WAY more than the minimum required to issue an equitable amount of punishment for Hezbollah's actions. Even Hezbollah's leadership expressed surprise over how strongly the Israelies responded to the abduction of their soldiers.

However, ask yourself this: if you lived in a region of the world where you were literally surrounded in all directions by other nations that openly and publicly wanted to end your existence (and make no mistake, that's the situation here), would you not go out of your way to make a show on strength when your borders are invaded?

The loss of civilian life is a tragedy, but doesn't Isreal (or any nation) have the right to respond when an invading force crosses over their border and makes an intentional ACT OF WAR by the abduction of its citizens, whether those individuals are in the military or not.

All that said, Israel has gone WAY overboard in their show of strength. My personal belief is that the motiviation behind their response is not an attempt to target civilians (who are frequently being used as human shields by Hezbollah operatives, anyway), it's to serve as a warning to the rest of their "neighbors" that this type of incursion and abduction CANNOT and WILL NOT be tolerated.

Answer 3

I partially agree with you there. Israel should of went in and took Hezbollah out on the ground and call it want it is, a war not crisis. The public opinion wouldn't be as against Israel but I still support them. About those rockets lobbied by the fascist terrorist, they would do it anyway but probably not as far into Israel.

Hezbollah is responsible for the great lost civilian lives just because they hide behind them and not "man up" and fight like a real military force.

Neddie what the hell does this have to do with this. Idiot, you don't even know what you'er talking about. Government educated? Yes you are, which is bad, not good Neddie.

Answer 4

DISAGREE. How much do you expect a country to take? The kidnapping was just the final straw and you can't argue the escalation factor. Condemn Israel all you want, but Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorists and they are the one that seek the annhilation of an entire race of people. The people who want peace will always be the ones criticized for defending it. If Israel has the superior air force and doesn't utilize this strategic advantage...one, they're stupid and two, would cause more innocent loss of life. The civilian deaths on both side are caused BY THE AGGRESSORS.

Answer 5

Both sides are wrong. The Israelis are using the kidnapping as an excuse to go after Hezbollah because they are tired of their civilians being killed by Hezbollah rockets and suicide bombers. Hamas and Hezbollah believe Israel does not have the right to exist. There is plenty of blame to spread around.

The UN troops saw all the bombing and shelling going on around them. They weren't keeping the peace. They were stupid to stick around especially since they were near a Hezbollah stronghold.

Answer 6

Gee, now where exactly is the battlefield? Could it possibly be somewhere around the point where those Hezbollah missiles are launched? If it is, then Hezbollah is defining the battlefield. By the way, does Hezbollah ever drop leaflets telling the Israeli where they are going to launch their missiles? Do the Israeli hide their bombs and missiles in schools and hospitals? Do the Israeli use the people they are allegedly protecting as human shields? Are you familiar with the expression, "Hoisted by your own petard"?

Answer 7

Israel is keeping the fight on the battle field. They are bringing the fight to Hezbollah. Hezbollah finds it convenient to hide behind women and children. Hezbollah wants these death to anger the world. They could just as easily let those people leave the battle ground but prefer that they stay so tragedies like today can occur.

Answer 8

Just a little history reading will show Israel has bent over backwards giving lebanon miles of land to 'appease' their torturous fighting for decades. All it does is make the hezbollah more daring and powerful.
As for innocent civilians, hezbollah are citizens. You believe what any talking head tells you.

Answer 9

Israel is thinking that doing something is better than doing nothing.

if they let this current kidnapping go, they will just have to respond later on to something else.

They are forcing the hand of Hezbollah, which may lead to Iran exposing theirs.

if they can lure Iran into the fray, they can hope to get international opinion on their side. it is kind of a long shot, but they really have little other choice.

they are surrounded by hostile neighbors in Iran and Syria who have no interest in a negotiated peace as they refuse to acknowledge Israel's right to exist.

Syria is after economic domination
Iran is a theocracy that hates Israel based on warped religious views.

Neither of these countries has to answer to their people as they are dictatorships.

Israel will be fighting them until the nukes fly I think, which is truly sad for the victims. But if you or I were in Israel's spot, what else could we do but fight as hard and as clean as possible?

Answer 10

They're trying to make a statement that with Olmert (not having a military background) as leader they're still going to come down hard on terrorists.

Unfortunately they completely miscalculated the strength of Hezbollah's fightback. Now they're stuck in a bind- if they withdraw they look weak and impotent. If they carry on going they'll kill thousands on both sides and the resulting war could last for a long time.