In the land that sheds blood over beliefs like chosen people, Noah's arc and fire bouraks from the desert to the heavens, it's hard to grasp the idea that everything is not black and white. The dispute of who's god gave what to whom needs to stop. Both Arabs and Jews have rights and yes to the same land. Why is it so hard to grasp? The solution is education away from blind theology. No decision making based on Moses splitting seas and Mohamed ascendence to the heavens

Hmm... sometimes I wonder... and maybe I am an idiot, but bear with me for one moment... Let me explain. By indiscriminately bombing lebanese radicals AND moderates alike, the israeli cabinet is doing Hizbullah, and itself, a great favor. "Politics 101" teaches us that if you don't have an enemy, find one. The current US administration is a living proof to that theory. It found in Bin Laden and his fanatics the perfect enemy. That's very important come think of it, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a traditional US foe. It would have been against all common politics to have a USA without a sizable enemy. Al-Quaida's size here is measured by the fear it can inflict, not by arsenal - and fear is the most powerful weapons of them all. Anyway, the current US administration, controlled by right-wing radicals in the white house, was happy to find a foe in Bin Laden and his followers, and crisis was solved for the americans. Their so-called war against the radicals is a great justification for the radical measures they're taking inside the USA (i.e. wire tapping) and out (i.e. telling the world "if you are not with us, you're against us!"). Now the current Israeli cabinet was facing a similar crisis. You see, the egyptians (regime-wise at least) were no longer at odds with Israel, and so were the Jordanians. Also, the current lebanese government indeed was taking steps to disarm Hizbullah through dialogue, and almost begging Israel to give up the Shebaa farms. Such would have robed Hizbullah from using those farms as pretext to continue hostility struggle with Israel. see a trend here? Even Hizbullah *needs* an enemy to justify its excistence! Anyway, the lebanese government was making significant progress with its national dialogue to disarm Hizbullah - dialogue that now has been interrupted by this war. Did Hizbullah miscalculated by kidnapping the 2 israeli soldiers? Hell no! They knew exactly what they were doing. They were hoping Israel would over react. Sure enough, Israel played into their game. To sum up, Hizbullah was extremely concerned that its very own existence was threatened by growing stability in Lebanon, especially after the syrian occupation ended in Lebanon. Hizbullah, a force that's traditionally fueled by hate and victimization, needed to create a fresh wave of violence to justify its continuation. The more violent the conflict gets, the better it is for Hizbullah and the right-wing hawks in the current Israelis cabinet. The real victims are the people on both sides. You and me. Muslims and Jews. Look, we both are ruled by politicians who wouldn't give a damn about us. I don't care if they say otherwise. Acts speak louder than words.

i myself am a lebanese citzen, i actually have a dual nationality, i am canadian too... bottem line, whether many wanna argue about what provoked this, n define the hiziballah as either a resistance movement or "terrorist cell"...one thing seems to remain.. We all our human beings, and this is jus straight out slaughter whats goin on in lebanon.. Thankfully enough i know better then to fuse feelings of abrasive hatred against the people of israel because ultimatly i know its fucked up politics which are playin out, and with all this bloodshed, i can not belive this is the will of the people, with most jweish people being the most intellectual which i know.. It saddens me to death that my jewish friend in haifa, has to go up and down to shelters everytime alarms ring..what kind of world do we live in, when our freedom is stepped upon, because the very politicians we put into power, bread conflict and adversity on our very nations.. As bad as it may be... Lebanon is gettin it worse, atleast aid is readily avaliable to the people of israel, atleast they have the convience, the choice, to be able to leave where they are stayin if they are in fear.. The damage thats been done to all of lebanon is a deep wound, and the blood that is spilt, creates more generalizations aimed at hating people are jus as humane as my words are.. People of Israel, especially the intellectually superior, if you do not agree with this onslaught of civilan life in lebanon, and feel that your freedom has been breached because of a government which seemingly wants to destroy your credibility in the internatiional commnities eyes..stand up, activism is the key to change...the conditions both sides are goin thru are enough for anyone to realize, its as if two children are fightin over candy.. n this whole conflict is primative, centuries of civilization n development and this is what we as humanity amount to? if you dont belive me jus see for yourself... www.nowarlb.com .... I appreciate those who have been against the agression on lebanon...... n my heart felt sentiments go out to everyone in israel, whether it having to be the inconvience of havin to leave the shower half naked jus to get down to a shelter, or having family n friends get hurt... my heartfelt prayers go out to you and your people...

Hizbullah's audacity to provoke Israel thru kidnappings and missiles shows they are well and truly prepared for this war. Hizbullah deceived the whole world by the no. of civilains killed. Hizbullah fighters fight and die in civilians clothes and this statistics alone would gain world support and sympathy. How pathetic but truly deceiving and a very smart tactic too. To tell Israel to stop this war is suicidal becos the missiles will keep coming.. longer range and more deadly. The only stupidity in this war is the belief that innocent Lebanese civilians killed. I am sure there are but the numbers are incorrect. News channels like BBC help Hizbullah in the media war in their favor. This is a war between God and Satan.

Everything you say is correct. Greatly appreciate your voice as it comes from Indonesia - and we often hear so much that is worrysome coming from your country.

Zionists knew that they were moving into a land of troubles. So there were no illusions about role of force for peace. As a results Ben Gurion called for arms to serve talk rather than the other way around. Alas, others got stupid because they saw Israel as on a limitless American umbelical cord. Only Netanyahu realized that to be free Israel must be free of its addiction to US$$$. That it can only do by proving that it is a Mideasterner and not a Westerner. It will be hard but-- ONCE OIL GETS CHEAP AGAIN, no longer funding terror-- Arabs will follow Israel's lead in the light of high-tech onto their nations. Israel's sons will become teachers instead of occupiers without losing its ultimate nuclear deterrence but depending on its knowledge-power. Must STOP stupid resort to US arms for illusion of security- independence!

Isn't it pity to see hundreds have died thousands wounded cities destroyed and thousands homeless and under shelters and God knows how much destruction is waiting in coming days. 2 soldiers captured for all this destruction and billions lost. Sayed Nasrallah only asked for exchange of prisoners against 2 soldiers. Have your generals been wise they would have stopped all these sufferings from both sides but regret Israel if not fights every 5/6 they will be called idle and lazy.Wars is runnimg in theiir blood

Dear prof, I would like to admire your article for the bravery you showed herein. Believe me if i tell you that we do not hate JEWS as ajew, we also could't feel that we will sweep Israel, but as for the OCCUPaTION I was prisoned when iwas 14 years, it was in 1989, they withdraw from my school, imagine a full armed soldier took you as a kid, i was sentenced for six months in prison. Do not break your head with it, but i am still believing that we can all live, work, coperate in this part of the world. The government of Israel is democraticaly elected by the people, as well as Hamas governement. but if we step-down, thinking there will be a solution, i am not pro hamas, but they are much much moe better than the PLO gangs resembeled by Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammad Dahalan. Thnks very much for raising the hope that there are Israeli neighbours thinking this way.

Zeev Maoz is a professor of Political Science, and former head of the Graduate School of Government and Policy at Tel-Aviv University. He also served as the Head of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (1994-1997), as the Academic Director of the M.A. program of the National Defense College of the IDF (1990-1994), and as Chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Haifa (1991-1994). Prof. Maoz received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He also held visiting appointments at Carnegie-Mellon University, New York University, and Rice University. During the 2003-4 academic year, Prof. Maoz is a Visiting Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan.

How the hell do morons like this get jobs? What rubbish.

The American don't hide and cower, they have saved the world's ass many times. You know nothing, you ignorant jackass.

please ,let us talk midly , we are all human being and our God is one , no any prophet or messenger from God orders his audiences and follows to kill or to destroy , but there are rights must be peserved and maintained , such as life , land and possissions . you agree with me ! so no respectfull one wants to destroy Israel state because it Israel , but because of Israel,s criminals all respectfull ones hate it and want to revenge due to their children were killed , lands were occupied, and after that no body do any thing (U.N ) what can we do ? we love all people and our religion do the same . please put your self in our place , if you are aggrieved and no one help you , no hope revealed , I think you must be terrorist UNTIL to resume rights .respect us and respect our feelings , you will absolutely respect you , lastly , if you uplift islamic flag and still kills children , occupy our lands , dealing with arrogance , you will be terrorists , so we hate your criminals and your arrogance not more . thank you

http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=YTFlNjEwYTAyZjg3NzY5NGNjMWQwYjEzNDMzZGI0NjU=

a safe way tyo destroy them is to drop a leaking jerry can of gasoline on them . Let the fumes settle into the lowest level and ignite it. The US marines did this on Iwo in WWii, please forward tgis to the IDF.

I quite disagree with your stupid analyse. Because you are dreaming. A moral country do not exist now even in europeand in the country I am living. No Arab leaders are thinking like you, so what you mean in unrealistic view. But if everybody agree to be convert in islam, it is another thing. I as a jew dont aspire to build a very moral country , more moral than west countries, we are not elected to do so. A free and democratic country is already so difficult to build.

Rather than try to explain from the middle tell it as it happened. Nasrallah broke international law by sending his own militia into another country to gain an advantage for himself by kidnapping soldiers. As he has no mandatory authority to act for any state this was an act of terrorism and now Lebanon pays the price he never expected. Gloating at the start, boasting of the end of Israel, he now squeals for peace and negotiation. Don't make excuses for the man, he started something that could see the total destruction of Syria, Iran as well as Lebanon just for starters. But then being a sesible man you must know this. Perhaps organising protests against him would let the world see that there are moderate peace loving Muslims out there instead of compliant supporters.

The biggest disaster in all this is that you Lebanese handed your country over to these morons without a fight, without even a protest that might have brought help from elsewhere much sooner even before they could get established. Now you have to watch the consequences of your own inaction. You could still save what's left by ordering your army to take sides with the IDF to clean out the remnants that are still determined to go down taking you with them. This is your chance to get rid of Nasrallah once and for all for you know where they all are.

"megalomaniac decision taken by Ariel Sharon and Menachem Begin to create a new Middle East," ?????? As far as I and all Israel knows, this decision about creating "new Middle East" was taken by Itzchak Rabin and Shimon Peres!!!!! Yes, we made mistakes in this war, but not the mistakes Prof. Maoz is writing about. This article is a shame.

I have no idea what the author has been smoking or whether they have let him out for a weekend visit at home, but whether drugged or lunatic, I have never read anything so clueless in my entire life. It is a shame that the author has lived in a bubble for, at the very least, the past 13 years of his life. Is the author Rip Van Winkle? Israel has been trying diplomacy for forever and in vain, and no one who knows the Israel/PA conflict history could deny this. Time and time again US has shuttled emersaries to the Middle East - Zinni, Tennet, Powell and others, all to come up with a diplomatic solution with dual requirements. Time and time again, Israel has initiated their responsibilites only to have the Arabs flaunt their indifference with additional violence - OVER and O VER AGAIN. It would seem your author has employed his diplomacy in removing his head from a proverbial place!

http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/PicturesFolder/preparations.jpg

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43213

which the whole world got sucked into it. As for Syria, you are just a whore. During Saddam's time, Syria was collaborating with Iraq, then arch enemy of Iran.

Wow. I did not know that the Jews could be so "stupid and deceived" that they would create the Hamas and Hezbollah to wipe them out of the face of the earth.You really believe in diplomacy with your determined murderers? How deceived and stupid.

It is true that a people who has suffered as the jews has all the reason to be scared, but in ignoring the suffering of the people around you. You brought a lot of misery to libanon and the occupied terrotories. That is the main reason why the people in the middle east hate Israel, It is different with the nazi's they hated you without that you were causing any harm, they were projecting their internal hate into the jews. Do not use the same mechanism as the nazis. Try t o see your worst enemy as a human. The Libanase see you as a crazy mentally disturbed nation. But think all the rockets of Hezboolah did less harm then 1 bomb raid in Libanon. So can you no imagine how much they hate you? With an army like the IDF nobody can conquer Israel's land why are you so afraid, let them brag about destruction, words will never kill 1 person;

You appear to be giving a perspective from the Lebanese who are "caught in the middle". You are in an unfortunate situation. However, when you are fighting a war against a determined enemy, such as Hezbollah you have to do everything possible to deny any kind of advantage to the enemy. The quicker this is done, the quicker you can defeat the enemy, and the quicker this horrid war is over. Unfortunately, Hezbollah is using "civilian infrastructure", such as roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, private homes, etc to make war on Israel. These things, unfortunately must become targets. This may be making non-Hezbollah Lebanese angry and turning them against Israel. I know that it would be hard not to harbor ill-will against a nation doing this, but I would like to believe that the wiser of the non-Hezbollah Lebanese do understand what is going on and why this destruction is necessary for the greater good. Israel is well aware of the risks associated with angering non-Hezbollah Lebanese, but the GREATER RISK is allowing Hezbollah to continue to use civilian infrastructure for its warmaking purposes. It is hard to ask people to be patient under these circumstances, but, to some extent, non-Hezbollah Lebanese are responsible for allowing this situation to develop, particularly in the last six years after Israel vacated Lebanon. There is historical parallel with regard to what happened to the non-Nazi Germans in WWII. Why did they allow Hitler and his henchmen to take power? The few voices that protested were brutally silenced. Hence, being an "innocent civilian" is not enough to expect a complete guaranty of safety in the event of war. Some of the other posts in this blog (including the "professor" who wrote the leading article for this blog) complained about the lack of morality in Israel. What about the morality within Lebanese society allowing this "Hezbollic cancer" to grow? Bottom line is that while I feel sorry for what is happening to some of the innocent civilians in Lebanon (and, by the way Israel could have fought this differently and really punished the innocent civilians - no one gives them credit for doing everything humanly possible to minimize civilian casualties), the denial of "dual-use" assets to the enemy is absolutely necessary, will lead to the quickest end to this war, and actually serves the best interests of the "innocent civilians".

did you say anything? i don't think so. just another philosopher-wannabe without a philosophy. firt of all, you should go out and learn what the term "nafka mina" means. cause you sure don't know.

You appear to be giving your opinion without having an idea about what is happening on the ground and without seeing the genocide or as if you don’t want to see. Israel is launching this war against Lebanon and the Lebanese identity. It is obvious now, that Israel is not acting against neither Hezbollah, neither Iran nor Syria, but against Lebanon. Otherwise, why: - In the first day Israel attacked the airport where there is nothing to do with Hezbollah? - Why Israel destroyed the power Station of Jiyeh which is away from Hezbollah’s? - If Syria is Behind Hezbollah, well Damascus which is a few km away, why isn't hit? - Christian cities which have nothing to do with Hezbollah are hit, why? - Antennas Christian TV Stations, and Radios are destroyed, why? - 1000 dead civilians, 457 of them are kids between 5 and 13 years old are those Hezbollah fighters? - Bridges, roads, Ports, Hospitals, Churches, Mosques where Hezbollah has nothing to do are destroyed. - Red cross and TV convoys are attacked, are those terrorists? Believe me the first Terrorist in this world is Israel, … I never considered Israel as enemy but now it is and forever. Now why is Israel leading a war against Lebanon? - Lebanon is a potential challenger in a lot of economical fields: tourism, harbors, Hospitality services, Banking system, Universities, Media, etc... Before every summer, Israel hits Lebanon in order to ruin tourist season. - For some reason that I can hardly point, Israel seems to hate Lebanon (to the point of removing it from maps). All this is for what Lebanon tries to stand for: Lebanese people from different religions cohabitate in a certain peaceful harmony and managed after a civil war to accept each others, while Israel would like a state purely Jew, and reject this theory and proving that these kind of communities cannot stand. And just for your info, the Lebanese people just had their independence 16 months ago and sine a year the Government was trying to disarm Hezbollah is a peaceful way, because otherwise it will lead to a civil war and that’s what Israel wants to see. What ever the reason for the war is, even if Hezbollah is rejected by the whole world, even if we also want to disarm Hezbollah, this is not why Israel is destroying the country. And it is obvious that Israel is now seeking time to destroy as much of Lebanon as it can. I hope the Israelis take a step back and realize where their hatred towards Lebanese is taking them, even if they don't admit, is leading them to create generations and generations that will never even dream of peace, and will prove that the state of Israel is the first enemy of Humanity.

Here are quatations from NASRALLAH: Nasrallah announced on October 22 2002 - "If the Jews all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." 1992 - "It is an open war until the elimination of Israel and until the death of the last Jew on earth." "The Jews are a cancer which is liable to spread again at any moment." "There is no solution to the conflict in this region except with the disappearance of Israel." When Israel ended its 18-year occupation of Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah declared, "We have liberated the south. Next we`ll liberate Jerusalem." Nasrallah statement in 1992, "It is an open war until the elimination of Israel and until the death of the last Jew on earth." In 2002, Sheik Nasrallah was quoted by the Lebanon Daily Star as encouraging Jews to move to Israel. "If they all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." Did Ze'ev Maoz think qualify these statements as "stupidity" and "deceptopn"? - No. - These words constitute a real threat. IDF reacted correctly. - Ze'ev Maoz reacted as a STUPID PERSON. Whom he wants to decieve?