Israel is disgracing the name and core values of the Jewish people. Their offensive in Lebanon is a war crime. They are destroying Beirut out of the interest of the U.S. and their own greed to have even MORE land then they already have. They have more then doubled their borders since 47'. They call all resistance terrorism and they are killing innocent people in order to cut off the head of a dragon that has many more. This never works, it never has. It's time for a new policy in the Middle East for Israel if they ever want true peace. I for one am a jew who is appauled. I pray Israel decides to take the moral route. For the sake of all in the Middle East.

Zach,

In an effort to maintain an intellectual format, I will debate you on your points, however, if it becomes a shouting match, I'll just delete all the comments.

So, here goes:

"Their offensive in Lebanon is a war crime."
-And what of Hezbollah's targeting of Israeli citizens in their attacks? Or Hezbollah's using of women and children as human shields? Or Hezbollah capturing two Israeli soldiers, killing at least 8 others, and holding them as hostages?

"They are destroying Beirut out of the interest of the U.S. and their own greed to have even MORE land than they already have."
- If you are referring to destroying a known terrorist organization as an "interest of the U.S.", you're absolutely right. However, this was in retaliation to the capture of two of their soldiers, and the murder of 8 others. Not to mention the fact that Hezbollah has preached over and over again how Israel should be destroyed and their people murdered...oh, I mean "cleansed", in the name of Allah.

"They call resistance 'terrorism' and they are killing innocent people in order to cut off the head of a dragon that has many more."
- If by resistance, you mean the barrage of Katyusha rockets that Hezbollah has been firing into the towns and cities of Israel for more than a decade, then again, you're correct. However, there is something called a "Human Shield" which inevitably leads to innocent humans being killed. Hezbollah uses the "HS" quite frequently, mounting weapons on civilian's houses, shooting around a woman to cause her to run in front of you and then using her as a shield as you fire blindly at an oncoming Israeli assault, etc. The brutality of Hezbollah has been known for years, but no one did anything about it. Neither the Lebannese government, nor Israel did anything about it.

"It's timee for a new policy in the Middle Ease for Israel if they ever want true peace."
- So what are you proposing? If you bring this up, you better be able to back it up. First rule of debate.

"I pray Israel decides to take the moral route."
- And this isn't? Standing up to a bully? Standing up to someone who violently murders innocent people, both Lebanese and Israeli?

Now, If you cannot say anything of merrit in rebuttal to these comments, please keep them to yourself as they will not stay on the website for long.

Thank you,
-Nasa Nerd

Who we call a terrorist organization is problematic in the first place. Hamas was elected by the general population of Palestinians, making them a legitimate political party. Yet we still call them a terrorist organization. By that line of thinking republicans are terrorists when they illegally bombed Iraq. What kind of a message is that to the Arab world? How desperate and hopeless do you think Palestinians must feel? I thought we were promoting democracy? All we've done is undercut Hamas since they've been put in office. Do you know how disrespectful that is?

The kidnappings were clearly setup by the Israeli government. This is known within the IDF community, I have reports from 1st Captains from the ground of this. If you look at the IDF records of captures from 2003 to present. They have had none for years. Then, suddenly before this invasion, a double kidnapping/killing occurs, one by Hamas and one by Hezbollah. Those odds are incredibly slim. I have cousins in the IDF who's training would make American marines look like boy scouts, they are the best trained soldiers in the world, If they were kidnapped they were put in harms way.

There had been no rockets until this invasion, and maybe if Israel stopped increasing their borders illegally they might not have to worry about rockets hitting their civilians. Maybe if they went back to their original borders of 47' they'd have less conflict.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5212870.stm

Check out that article if you think it's only Hezbollah that uses Human shields. I can guarantee you there has been more then just this incident.

Hezbollah and Hamas use the cleansing of Israel as their hard line to gain support. What they want is land that was rightfully muslim, and to stop the security threat that the nuclear armed IDF poses. Not all of this land that Israel has now belongs to the jews. It is land that should be shared at best if not given back to the muslim population.

Hamas is still a terrorist organization. Al-Qaida was the ruling party in Afghanistan, if you remember correctly. That didn't stop them from continuing their terrorist activities.

Before you blame the "Republicans" for an "illegal" bombing, do your research. The Resolution to invade Iraq won by an overwhelming vote by both Republicans AND Democrats. Not just one or the other.

"Undercutting Hamas"? When a "political organization" is calling for the erradication of an entire race, murders innocent women and children (both Palestinian and Israeli...ever heard of "honor killings"?), I'd say they're free to be "undercut".

The kidnappings were arranged by Israel? I'm sorry, but those soldiers were on the borders of their territory, "in harm's way" (as you put it), trying to protect the innocent civilians of Israel from attack. And there have been attacks in the past few decades in Israel. Why don't we hear about them? Because they're perpetrated by a terrorist organization in "defense" of their "land". Zach, but if you knew your history, you'd know that those lands originally belonged to Israel and her people.

(btw, here's a timeline of aggression against Israel and US Forces stationed in the area: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/14/israel.lebanon.timeline/index.html)

If you look at it this way, Hamas is still sending in suicide bombers into Israeli night clubs, buses, and coffee houses, blowing up women and children. But they're not a terrorist organization anymore, so we can't call that "terrorism". We must now call those acts "Political in nature" and write them off as little more than a cultural difference. Right?

Here's where you're wrong about that "Human Shield" article: it is only alleged. There is no definite proof that those people where used as shields. If you can, please use definite facts, and not unsubstantiated writings with bias (Yes, the BBC is very biased...).

Hezbollah and Hamas don't just use the "cleansing of Israel from the Middle East" as a way to garner support. It's an actuall political point they use. They really believe that Israel must be wiped off the map. Busses full of children have been blown up, and the bombers praised for it. Women are slaughtered, and men are brutally murdered in the name of Allah. Look it up.

Again, I will warn you only once: Use definite facts. If you use any derrogatory language at any political party that you are not aligned with, I will delete the comment. I'm all for open discussion, but hate speech and inflamatory arguments will not be tollerated.

- Nasa Nerd