that really bothers us. Its the non-stop whinning that Palestinians and their supporters make when we hit back. That's what a war is, don't like dying don't fight.

Be made an Israeli ambassador to Gaza. Send him there and keep him there until peace is made. That way, we will never hear from him again. He can take #14 with him.

I agree with Amos Oz! This current government does now know how to handle a war!! We see the results of the last war! I will not sacrifice the lives of my two sons so Mr. Olmert will look "good" in the history books!

but has no idea of fact. Mr Oz: Please come and stay in one of the Gaza border communities with your family for a month or two (you will never make it for more than that before running back to the safety of your mercaz). and then write another article about the poor suppressed and oppressed refugees in Gaza. Drivel.

On the contrary, they are full of themselves and expect victory, thanks to useful idiots like Amos.

http://thoughts-on-news.blogspot.com/

I don't understand this suggestion of reaching a cease fire with Hamas. Hamas can have a cease fire anytime it wants. All it has to do is stop trying to kill Israelis. It has not done that. Hamas has declared war on Israel and it is waging that war every day. Israel has the right and obligation to defend its citizens by any and all means at its disposal. Every missile fired into Israel from Gaza is collective punishment of Jews for the perceived crime of living in Israel, or simply living. Israel must stop these attacks by any means necessary. Israel cannot care more for the Palestinians who have elected Hamas and dance in the streets with joy when an Israeli is killed than it does for its own citizens. The whole point to the State of Israel is that is was to be a place where Jews can live without fear of being killed for no reason and where Jews can defend themselves. If Israel cannot defend its citizens, the entire reason for its existence is gone.

Amos would do well to stick his head back into the peace oven, for he is truly on another planet. Since he believes that negotiating with Hamas is the BEST possible outcome, then he must also be prepared to deal with Hamas in Tel Aviv et al. Hamas breeds on appeasement, and his prescription for Israel smacks of appeasement at the highest order. Amos, you are old and tired. Take a long, long, nap.......

This is typical of the Leftist crap formula that is leading the nation to nowhere. Without a firm foundation and belief in the GOD of Israel, this is what happens. What is lethal to Israel is listening to and being led by the Leftists.

Oz maintains that by attacking our enemies we are actually playing into their hands. Such a position doesn't even deserve a response. Such a position has never been a solution for any country. The price of being a free nation is high. No nation can tolerate constant missle bombardments. The response of a responsible government to such attacks is to kill the enemy that is violating its citizens right to live without the fear of being killed by its enemies. Amos solution appears to be to give "hope" to the Gazans. The only hope Gazans pray for is the destruction of Israel. Oz should keep his opinions to matters of comedy which he does have some expertise.

This is the same delusion that has been perpetrated year after year since the terrorists were invited to come to Israel and set up a government as part of the Madrid and Oslo debacles. Anyone with any sense will realize that having to re-capture Gaza is inevitable and will come with a price. It would be better to do it now than later. As usual, Oz shows how little he is willing to do to protect Israel.

LEV TROTSKYSTEIN you don't seem to have it right. The Arabs (there are no "Palestinians") can have as many rights as they wish to award to themselves, like they always do. But they can't have them in Israel, where they don't belong. That's a fact simple to understand, that is-if the chopper didn't scramble your brains too much, that time in Mexico. If you don't understand, don't dissent by shaking your head...who knows what might happen?? By the way, Jews were not "once" victimized by Europeans, or perhaps they were but that ONCE lasted for nearly 17 hundred years. And, contrary to your insinuation, and even though many foolish dimwits may believe it, the Holocaust was NOT the reason for Israel. It brought citizens there sooner, that's true, perhaps even pushed the State forwards a few years, but for the last 150 years at least, even before Hertzl, there have been a series of movements by various governments towards the re-establishment of the Jewish State. Do a little serious reading-for a change.

I don't want to see human lives put on the line any more than the next guy, but, if Israel were to cut off ALL power to the Gaza Strip I wonder how long it would be before the people revolted against Hamas and took back their country. The Paslestinians could be a free people if they wouldn't allow Hamas to run them into the ground. I am sure it would only take a few days to stop the rocket fire and disruptions if electricity were cut completely off.

Every leader of Peace Now should move to Sderot until the bombing stops. If you believe the peace process is worth dying for risk your own lives. Or are your ashkenazi lives worth too much.

All of the other strategies enumerated plays into the hands of the terrorists. It is obvious that:: 1) They smuggled in massive amounts of explosives, RPGs, weaponry, and rockets during the breach of the border with Sinai. 2) They expect an Israeli reprisal and have booby trapped extensive areas like they did in Jenin. We must not fall into their trap but instead change the nature of the war on the ground using their strategy against them. We must not risk Israeli lives and incur unacceptable losses. Instead we should provide the people of Sderot and surrounding with the means of self-defense and change the war into self-defense. This means providing mortars and Qassam like cheap and highly inaccurate rockets. When they fire rockets at us, the people of Sderot should fire back. There would be no risk to IDF soldiers. They would get back exactly the same terror that they dish out. There is no more David and Goliath fables. They can't use the "incompetence defense since they rarely hit their targets". Once the rockets and mortars rain down on Gaza, they will put an end to their launchings. It is that simple. It will work. It is not only the best solution, it is the ONLY solution that is guaranteed to work. p.s. They usually miss Israeli targets because they are sparse. Gaza is a dense target and the rockets will have an immediate impact on Gaza and the terrorists.

All of the other strategies enumerated plays into the hands of the terrorists. It is obvious that:: 1) They smuggled in massive amounts of explosives, RPGs, weaponry, and rockets during the breach of the border with Sinai. 2) They expect an Israeli reprisal and have booby trapped extensive areas like they did in Jenin. We must not fall into their trap but instead change the nature of the war on the ground using their strategy against them. We must not risk Israeli lives and incur unacceptable losses. Instead we should provide the people of Sderot and surrounding with the means of self-defense and change the war into self-defense. This means providing mortars and Qassam like cheap and highly inaccurate rockets. When they fire rockets at us, the people of Sderot should fire back. There would be no risk to IDF soldiers. They would get back exactly the same terror that they dish out. There is no more David and Goliath fables. They can't use the "incompetence defense since they rarely hit their targets". Once the rockets and mortars rain down on Gaza, they will put an end to their launchings. It is that simple. It will work. It is not only the best solution, it is the ONLY solution that is guaranteed to work. p.s. They usually miss Israeli targets because they are sparse. Gaza is a dense target and the rockets will have an immediate impact on Gaza and the terrorists.

I agree with the general premise that Israel should confront the Qassam problem with a cool head and not zip off like Sonny Corelone toward a Hamas toll-booth. But then I part ways with Adon Oz. In terms of international law, what is a nation to do when attacked by rogue elements from a neighboring territory where the local government either cannot or will not impose order? What are the historical precedents? I don't know, but in the absence of a new technology that could neutralize the rocket threat, I would recommend mining the launching areas. When a rocket is fired from a building, the building should be razed and the vacant lot mined. Slowly push the launchers back and out of range of Sderot and Ashkelon with mines. When a responsible government takes over Gaza, you can help remove the mines. No need to reoccupy, no need to get involved in urban warfare in Gaza City, no aerial bombardments. Not perfect, but the current state of affairs is intolerable.

And he gets lots of prizes in Europe because his political views are closer to our enemies than to us. Amos Oz and the rest of the Israeli Left have endangered our existence and created the rot in our society that has nearly ruined our army and our leadership. He must have been off in some European capital when the second Lebanon War took place - 'cause bombing the Hizbollah sure didn't do any good. So why advocate the same failed policies for Gaza?

Last April, the Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi told the government at a cabinet meeting that "the only solution to continued Palestinian rocket fire into the western Negev is to implement a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip." However, as of Tuesday, the IDF is continuing to implement a policy of targeted airstrikes against terrorist cells and leaders in the Gaza region. Israel has not only the right, it has the duty to defend its citizens as explained at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/01/international-law-and-gaza-assault-on_31.html

most of the amateur strategists in this column unwittingly prove their amatuer...ness. Thanks for thinking how Israel can deal with the terorists threat...but realize: Israel is faced with a real dilemna . To do nothing , to suffer ham, hiz, iran, syria terror and threats... is the same as surrender ! To wildly lash out ...killing off thousands or even millions will only REDUCE the terrorist's " human shields ", and dishearten Israeli troops and population. carpet bombing, mines, poison gas, bacteria, fall into the category of "lashing out". Israel can only slowly grind down the terrorists, cut off the heads of the snake. make their lairs unlivable... It will take time and the lives of many innocents ( that Israel will be responsible for ) to acheive victory. MOSHE

Get your you know what and come and live in Sedrot for 1/2 a year and see if you feel the same after that time. I know that if Israel enters Gaza,Israel will pay a heavy price,but I guess you think that the people of Sedrot and my Kibbutz should just sit pay a heavy price so you can live in Peace in the middle of the country and far from the borders

Time for the people of sderot to release 1000 pigs into gaza. Muslims won't touch them and might create a no man's land

I don't know if invading Gaza is the best to do, but pinpointing Hamas leaders is for sure a good thing to do. Send Khaled Meshal to the virgins in heaven. A cease fire with Hamas ? Amos Oz is crazy. They will use this time to organise and collect more weapons. A cease fire with Hamas doesnt mean quiet. Islamic Jihad will shoot Qassams instead.

Just because someone write books does not make him a genius. That is his profession. His opinion should not count for more than a store clerk,a bus driver or anyone else. Since he is always on their side,we should expel him to gaza and let him suffer with his brothers. We will do what it takes to end the kassams and mortar shells.And that includes destroying gaza and killing the enemy,man,woman and child. In spite of oz and his terrorist friends and their allies.

Israel should not march into Gaza to occupy it. Israel should march into Gaza and bomb it from the sea and air in order to kill those who are perpetrating terrorist attacks against Sderot. Go in, do maximum damage and then leave. If the rockets stop, good. If not, go back in and do it again. Then, when the rockets have stopped, talk with Egypt about what comes next. It is time to leave the mess in their lap. Those are the proper wages of a cold peace.