Is Isreal overacting?

[Little Raven]

Obviously, more than governments come into play. But not when it comes to international pressure. It doesn't matter how much the British people dislike Israel bombing Lebanon, if Blair gives it the ok, no pressure is going to come from the UK, regardless of how unhappy the guys at the pub are.

And Blair (and Bush, and Harper, and Mubarak, and representatives from the EU, and virtually ever other power player) has approved it. Which is why Israel is being given such a free reign.

 

[Esox]

I didn't vote because the situation is becoming different as the days go on, in my personal view. I thought they were initially justified, but it has gone on too long.

Now I think the Israelis are trying to make sure that, if it becomes a three-front war (Iran and Syria being the other two), they have crippled their enemy on one of those fronts.

 

[sysyphus]

Harper has made it clear where Canada stands.

Harper has made it clear where Harper stands. The opinion of most Canadians is very different. Have a look at the views of the Canadian posters on this forum.

 

[Mott1]

This is a question to those who believe that Israel is "overreacting":

What action should Israel take in this situation?

You are very good at criticizing their actions I assume you should be equally as good at providing a solution.

 

[Arminius]

This is a question to those who believe that Israel is "overreacting":

What action should Israel take in this situation?

You are very good at criticizing their actions I assume you should be equally as good at providing a solution.

A good solution to Hizbollah kidnapping Israeli soldiers? Easy! Step 1; inform Hizbollah that Israel will not trade soldiers for prisoners, period. Step 2; tell the Israeli people that security for soldiers will be bulked up, and do it. Step 3; begin/continue cladestine actions to rescue Israeli soldiers and remove Hizbollah from southern Lebanon.

 

[sysyphus]

This is a question to those who believe that Israel is "overreacting":

What action should Israel take in this situation?

You are very good at criticizing their actions I assume you should be equally as good at providing a solution.

Not necessarily true, just because one does not know the right answer doesn't mean they can't judge when one is blatantly wrong.

But nonetheless, I summed up such an answer in an earlier post when I said that though I find the bombings to be excessive force, I nonetheless believe that they are justified to cross the border and face Hezbollah forces head on.

 

[Little Raven]

Harper has made it clear where Harper stands. The opinion of most Canadians is very different. Have a look at the views of the Canadian posters on this forum.

Yes, but when you elect a guy to the highest office in the land, you entrust him to speak for you. I sympathize, though. Believe me I do.

At least, in theory, we get to vote the bastards out every once in a while. The poor Egyptians have been stuck with Mubarak for what...30 years now?

 

[Oruc]

Israel is justified in my opinion

 

[El_Machinae]

You can bet the terrorists are looking at what is going on right now, and thinking twice about kidnapping soldiers anytime in the near future.

Do you think 9/11 caused a single American to rethink America's treatment of the Middle East? Do you think it convinced a single American to ease back, and let them control their own destiny? No - the 'motives' for the 9/11 attack were fed to the American people by their leaders, and mobilized against the Middle East. Were you MORE willing to die for 'Canmerica' before the attack, or LESS?

Who do you think is talking to the Lebanese citizens about whose fault these attacks are? Do you think that maybe they think a little bit like you do? Or do you think they'll curl up, even though you never would?

Or do you honestly think that bombing Lebanon back to the stone age is the solution to destroy Hizbollah?

"Bombing back into the stone age" would actually work, I think. It worked against Japan and Germany in WWII (everyone willing to fight was long dead, and people were tired.). Though I think that the toll in human life would obviously be too high.

I think that Israel is acting a little too aggressively, but I don't have enough information to judge. I certainly don't think they'll pay any reparations for mis-fired damages, though morally, they certainly should.

 

[azzaman333]

Currently, no. However, should this continue on for another 3 or so months, then yes, it is an over-reaction.

 

[Rhymes]

I think Israel is totally justified in its actions. If they give in on this, it opens up a whole can of worms, becuase terrorists will kidnap Israeli soldiers every time they want something.

You can bet the terrorists are looking at what is going on right now, and thinking twice about kidnapping soldiers anytime in the near future.

I won't choose to argue on the terrorist thing right now...

So, you really think that terrorist will say :" gee, they are pretty mean, I think we should chill off because otherwise we are done for".

I rather think that their hatred towards Israel will be fueled like never before and that it will only give them more will to make attacks against them. The more people suffer, the more hatred is caused and the more you'll find people willing to sacrifice their lives to avenge the deaths of their fellow citizen.

We can argue about the reaction of Israel and their motives, but their is no doubt in my mind that the attack will produce an increase in terrorist attacks and organisation, rather then the opposit.

 

[nihilistic]

Well, what do you mean by overacting? Acting beyond justification or acting beyond prudence? There are differences between the two and I think the latter consideration is more important than the former.

 

[Mastreditr111]

I polled as "American and overreacting" but by way of explanation, they are really misreacting, badly. Striking some civilian targets with military purposes from the air is reasonable, but their actions go beyond. YOU DO NOT PUNISH A CIVILIAN POPULATION FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW TERRORISTS, not even in the hopes that they will turn against them. They will just turn against you. They have every right to invade, and destroy certain things, but an AIRPORT!?!?! They could easily have occupied it and accompliched whatever aims without killing civilians. Generally I support Israel, and the invasion itself is justified, but not every action taken in its course. You can do most of the things they have used air strikes for from the ground, more precisely, and cover your men with airpower. Minimize deaths on all sides, and you may get somewhere.

 

[cegman]

... They have every right to invade, and destroy certain things, but an AIRPORT!?!?! They could easily have occupied it and accompliched whatever aims without killing civilians. Generally I support Israel, and the invasion itself is justified, but not every action taken in its course. You can do most of the things they have used air strikes for from the ground, more precisely, and cover your men with airpower. Minimize deaths on all sides, and you may get somewhere.

Alright you can invade for them. That wouldn't work very well for anything. Airports are on of the top military targets you can strike at. A hospital can also be a major target but such a strike is probably a bad move. You can't invade a country safely. I don't know any figures for the death of Israeli armed forces but I can bet it would be 10X higher if they invaded.

 

[Mastreditr111]

But that means maybe 200 deaths, versus the couple thousand (yes foreign) deaths the operation is causing now. Not conducive to immediate results, but maybe if someone sees that the Israelis are putting the "good of the many" first peace will finally break out.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Terrorists? How about the bombing of the King David hotel in 1946? were they terrorists or people trying to liberate their homelands... sounds like hypocrisy to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing

How about the 1976 Munich Olympics, too?

 

[Mott1]

YOU DO NOT PUNISH A CIVILIAN POPULATION FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW TERRORISTS, not even in the hopes that they will turn against them.

Mastreditr111,

To me, your posts have been the voice of reason when addressing the polemics of Israel and the Middle East. Your views often reflect my own.
I do agree that you do not punish civilians for the actions of a few terrorists, however Hezbollah can no way be described as a few terrorists.
Hezbollah is complex organization that has two faces, the political face and the clandestine militant/terrorist face. The movement enjoys a highly effective regime of internal discipline and concealment. It's a political, religious party created solely to oppose the state of Israel.
Hezbollah has 23 seats in Lebenons parliment and 2 key ministry positions. It has a full-scale multimedia operation including a media relations department.
In addition to its militia, an estimated 40% of the population of Lebenon support Hezbollah. And despite the terrorist allegations, many more consider Hezbollah a resistance movement.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

Well, IMO Israel should finish the job NOW, not waiting for another decade or two.

 

[GinandTonic]

Well, IMO Israel should finish the job NOW, not waiting for another decade or two.

Define finish the job.

What is it that you think could finish the job?

 

[Rambuchan]

I voted: "I'm from the UK or the Commonwealth, I think they are over-reacting."