If Israel would have ended the war in a stronger strategic position, then it would have been possible to say that this sacrifice was not for nothing. Kadima politicians always put the strategic interests of the country last.

my heart goes ot to the father of Or Shahar. all minsters of Israel government are a bunch of hard headed, arogant, and greedy people. Lets do a possitive thing for the sake of all of these inocent slain soldiers and get rid of Olmert and his buddies.

Olmert must go (Bush has nothing to do with this; Israel is a country but with Olmert-Livni-Peretz hunta one may think that it is something else).

First off: Many Jews have died in defense of Israel including some who were never citizens of the state. They in fact never received government handouts in order to be Kibbutznicks or like. 2) We are at war. There are no options. Your enemy wants you dead. What part of that do you not seem to understand? 3) No amount of bellyaching is going to change #2. Your poor leadership is a reflection of an electorate which at best can be described as selfish egotistical and self pitying all at once. 4) Suck it up. As long as you wish to stay in Israel on a state sponsored itty bitty farm, keep quiet and simply suck it up. Unless you want to go elsewhere and have to actually work for a living, I suggest you suck it up. 5) You don’t have a monopoly on suffering. I lost a brother there way before Oslo and it still hurts today. 6) I truly wish that you will find some peace in your terrible pain. I've been there, I know. 7) Have a good new year and may god bless you

While the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldiers was the initial event, Israel had to go to war to attempt to deal with the threat of thousands of Hizbullah missiles. We know from what happened that Hizbullah always intended to use these, and a further delay in taking action by Israel would have made matters worse. Yes, the war ended badly, with the job of dealing with Hizbullah left unfinished, with the abducted soldiers not free and with a disastrous UN resolution. But the benefit of hindsight doesn't mean Israel should have done nothing.

simply because they took what is not theirs, the land belong to the palestinians, christians, muslims and jews. if you guys don't like wars, so get the f--k out of palestine, as England got out all the countries they previously conquered.

We dont need lectures from arrogant fools in canada. keep your malicious ignorance to yourself, and while you're at it, why dont you concentrate on developing a coherent policy against the Islamist terrorists you've allowed to fester in your country, instead of poking your nose into things that dont concern you.

...that soldiers die in a war. To remind everyone, the 1973 war was started as irresponsibly as this one. The reservists weren't called up, the army and the coutnry weren't ready for this. This war could be managed A LOT better than it was, but the soldier was part of the army. Although I do understand the father's pain and I have no idea how would I act in his place, however, I think that he should ask the gov't and military to take responsibility for the poorly-managed war. He allowed his son to be sent to the war as soon as he said "Good bye" to him on the drafting day.

Why?cuz he against terror? =/

one can understand the father but his feelings are not really the issue. What kind of war would justify the death of his son. Which war is legitimate ? What is a soldiers function ? Not necessarily to die but it goes with the territory, If I have one fear about Israel being destroyed it's that Israelis will become too soft. We are at war and have been since 1948. The enemy is not spoiled like us but is hungry (and ready to die) and this is very dangerous! Mike

This is a truly sad story that any father should have to feel this for his son. I think a whole nation and a good part of the world looks at this war and wonders why. While the United States, where I live, has gone to war when it shouldn't, too, I think there is some merit in pointing out one significant difference. 9/11 was a big event for our country. More people lost than were lost on both sides of this last Lebanon war -- and all of them civilians -- but our president took his time in going to Afghanistan. He took a lot of time and planned. His advisors planned. The military strategists planned. All the necessary equipment was moved into place. As Bush said, "We will respond on our own time in our own way." And the world waited for months for the U.S. response. What would it do? Many in the U.S. grew impatient waiting for the response; but when the response came in Afghanistan it was a well-planned effort that took the Taliban out of control (objective one), installed a new democratic government (objective two), and to a less successful extent drove the Taliban and Al Quaida out of the country (objective 3). But it still did not meet its most important objective -- eliminating Al Qaida. Israel, on the other hand, tends to go to war in knee-jerk ways at very minor provocations (like the kidnapping of two soldiers). The U.S. would never go to war over something like that. It would plan a surgical strike to free the prisoners or work behind the scenes to find them, but it would not take two nations to war to free two soldiers. I'm not trying to say, at all, that the U.S. never goes into wars in the wrong way. Iraq was the wrong war, even though it got rid of the right leader. (When you're going to launch a pre-emptive strike you have an absolute moral obligation to be right about your reasons for going to war, and Bush couldn't have been more wrong.) So, I'm not patting the U.S. on the back. I'm using a single illustration to say that Israel needs to think about and plan its war efforts a lot better and think a lot harder about whether an all-out war is the right response to small provocations. Detailed planning with time to position equipment will lead to better results. What Israel wants is an immediate repercussion while the offense is still hot in people's minds. Revenge. That's a poor policy, and lacks the sophistication Israel is capable of in making a far wiser attack. Afghanistan, while not a total success, shows that a slow and deliberate response is more effective. One also has to wonder, why the IDF didn't have a fully worked out plan long in advance for eliminating Hezbullah if the opportunity ever arose. There should have been a plan on the shelf that the IDF and various PMs had gone over a hundred times so that it was thought through much better than what we all witnessed. Israel also seemed to have no surprises up its sleeves in this war ... other than the surprise that they lost in the sense that they accomplished not a one of their stated objectives. --David Haggith

when u let ur politicians fool you and give them the power to control ur destiny and link it to the interests of the United states with the So called New Middle East that condi wants to create ... this is what u get !!!! At the end no one cares about the losses of the people .... the soldiers, their families and ordinary peopel suffer while Olmert brags that he can walk freely in North Israel !

Your posts dont even make sense.

probably make a markedly stronger case for the palestinians leaving gaza and the west bank. But you go on with your meaningless rhetoric.

started by overconfidence. Politicians for the most part are not good managers of so called war. Still only after the failings have been seen in this war, can a war be called optional.. And because Hizbullah is still around and no soldiers back, this war didnt solve much. Just to me postpones settling of matters to a later date, be it by negotiation of more hostilities.

picture. The US just like it seems Israel, has to do the worlds dirty work. So Dave who was going to remove Hussein, or do you think it would have been better than he stayed in power, and slaughtered more civilians. The UN was totally unwilling to alleviate suffering in Iraq so it was up to the USA to do that. At least now the Iraqis have some kind of shot at doing some good things with their country there are no guarantees there for sure. So now what Dave, whos going to clean up the mess in the Sudan, the religious persecution and intolerance. You should study up on the area. Looks like the UN will do nothing and it will be again up to the USA> Quite a responsibility for sure.

dont say much about the clown nassrallah. Look at all the bloodshed his decision caused on both sides Israel and Lebanon. nassrallah didnt care enough about his own people or else he would have tried non violent ways to get what he wanted, prisoners and some useless land. Good point fadi, you always bring out the best in me, even though I always contradict you.. Have a nice day.

Fadi dear, for better or worse, these are our politicians, we vote them in, we vote them out. Can you vote Syria and Iran in and out of power? If they hadn't mingled in your internal affairs, if you had resisted hezbollah, Israel would never have retaliated. Oh, we will pick up one dirani or one obeid to be returned safely to his family after several years. But what we get from you is only bodies, at ratios varying between 1:300 to 1:1000. So perhpas that what we should do. Give you back cadavers. But our high moral standards do not allow that, and that is why you feel uneasy about us. Again, never miss an opportunity to just shut up.

Yossi, We are sad to hear your grief and feel sorry for you.. but don't you think that having your son ellimnated has saved some Lebanese children form being massacared... See it from our side... 600+ Lebanese children were murdered by the ITF (Israeli Terrorist Force). Isn't time to think about peace???? I think so....the person to be charged is Olmert and his dreams to be like Sharon and Hitler..

Selfish arrogant obnoxious and self pitying all rolled into one. It is my friggin business moron!. So long as you friggin schnorrers come knocking on my door asking for money it is my business. You heard the expression Baal Meyah Baal Deyah. Well buddy boy thats what its all about. And dont split a gut as to whats happening in Canada. I meet plenty fomer Israeli JO's wandering arouund, save the ones that are sitting in Jail where they end up catching religion ala Chabad. Chances are I'll meet you here as well. So here's one for you..Suck it up as you wait for the next suicide bomber who you no doubt give welfare to blow his friggin S out as he splatters you to hell. Gee I quess I wasnt too PC here. Oh well!

Very, very sad. The least Olmert should do is to resign. The worst Israeli PM ever. Let's hope there is no one like him for a long time to come.

Despite the mismangem't of the war by the defeatist dilettantes of the Kadima triumvirate, your son is still humanities hero, fighting the barbaric Hezbollah Jihadists who seek the civilized Western world's surrender. It's indeed a shame it took your sons death, & the pummeling of the Northern Israel w/ 4000 katushas, to expose the immediacy of Israel's existential threat & the ineptitude of Olmert's pusillanimous leadership...but, if it's any consolation, the bungled , unfinished war may be a blessing in disguise to ensure a more certain defeat next time. jews of the world share a collective pride for your son's sacrifice in but round one of Israel's protracted inevitable war w/ the free world's enemies.

While I feel for this grieving father, I do not think his son died in vain. He and the rest of the fallen and wounded soldiers were heroes of the state. I do think Israel was very poorly led in this war and must take bold steps to redress the shortcomings exposed in it. These shortcoming were the result of years of failed leadership in the top echelons of the Israeli political/military arena. Please, Israel, fix these problems now! Your enemies are reloading and preparing for round two and this time they actually think they can beat you!

I guess in a few years I will be able to give JJ the same advice. If he does not like to ride his donkey to mosque and look at his women in burkah He might as well learn to swim so he can cross the pond to escape Londonistan . . . God save the queen and the mullahs. . .

Israel is always in a state of war because its neighbors want it to be so. Israel just wants to be left alone, GET IT? England got out of countries it conquered? not all of them and besides, the English still have England. The Jews are living in the ONLY country they have, and in the country of their forefathers. They didn't steal it from Anybody. THIS WAS NEVER ARAB LAND!!!!!! Arabs have 22 countries to choose from. Christians have the whole world. The Jews deserve one tiny country, don't you think?Study history, before you make a fool of yourself on a website, do us all a favour! You don't get to decide who this country belong to. I suggest YOU shut the F--K UP!!!!!!!!

no war has a reason for us parents. There should not be a reason at al. Just now, all parent of the planet are with you, no father should life longer than his son, the loss is a terrible thing. These are times when you are truly alone, lets hope it wont happen again