Thank you for this poem. Amazing.

cease-fire don t have their children on the front. Bibi did the right thing. Under condition that EACH next rocket that might be launched will be IMMEDIATELY followed by HARSH retaliation .

There's a possibility that I.D.F invasion to Gaza zone would be with a tragic implications.

Oh please... This is just giving them time to re group, re arm and resume the bombings! Wake up Netanyahu and remember what the "Palestinians(?)" want.... No ISRAEL !

Israel has now completely turned over all the remaining bits of soverignty to America afraid of the West 's reactions . One capitulation after another just like the instructions if a missile hits and you live on an upper floor run down to a lower floor soon you run out of places to hide There needs to be a complete revision of Israeli politics or there will be no Israel also to blame the culture of indifference of the Israeli public.

I'm just trying to put the best face on a bad situation. I was also very disappointed there was no ground operation. But, it has to come eventually, when Netanyahu finally grows a pair and annuls his deal with the devil.

I would give Bibi a very high grade for making the best out of a very difficult situation. He showed true statemanship in his decision to go into a cease fire. A decision to go into a ground war needs to be based on a careful cost benefit analysis-the costs in terms of Israel's delicate relationship with Egypt the US and other world powers if we go in, the potential cost in soldier lives when compared with achievements on the ground, and the risk of entering an agrement with these goons. I say, let them have their "victory" and continue being the political, economic and military superpower without having to prove it to anyone. Mewnwhile, while the continue with the distructive behavior, if we let them have a few things they won't be able to blame us in the future and we gain some support among moderate muslims. Our prosperity and well being even for a period of time is more beneficial than continued conflict and dealing with the aftermath like in 2008.

We have agreed to a ceasefire which rewards Hamas by reopening the border crossings which will make it easier to smuggle things in but there was no timescale for this ceasefire. Originally Bibi said no deals unless Hamas would go on the record and say it would stick to the terms for a minimum number of years. In the end we just played the usual game of getting a ceasefire that last as long as Hamas want it to last with the knowledge that if they do once the troops have been sent home there will be no Pillar of Defense 2 to worry about, speeches. We have spent hundreds of millions, six Israelis have died and we have been humiliated and lost the little deterrence we had left after Olmert left office. This country is a joke the way it handles its enemies these days and is not the Israel of 1967 which we would like to believe it is Bibi has shown he is just another weak career politician. Not only did Hamas who stand their ground ( something we never do ) but Obama was also on their side and pushing Bibi into accepting their demands because were determined & Obama wanted to get back to his beloved peace process not wars with Hamas. If it were not for the fact Lapid, Yachimocich & Mofaz would all be 100 times worse for the country then I would reconsider for Bibi. Sadly the generation of politicians who did what they believed to be right for the country ( even if they were sometimes wrong ) are gone and now we have career politicians and inexperienced idealists who don't know anything about running a country.

Hey Tony Baloney, the last thing we need are more of these people invading Australia,We have too many jews already.

It is always Barks policies of withdrawal, surrender, cease fire, blowhard talk, giving away YS that Israel follows. Although un-elected he is the real PM. BB is a figurehead like the queen doing everything Barak wants.

I though Israel was to broke to fulfill the social protests. If gaza was invaded they could bring back the loot to pay for it all. Israel must be rich to sabre rattle and then do a Barak/Bibi surrender move

"These people" wouldn't "invade" your country if we received a personal invite from the PM. There are way too many Australians there.

I promise not to capitulate and to turn Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran into glowing cinder....

I would take Toney's offer of moving Jews to Australia if I were you. You huff and puff, but when push comes to shove you capitulate as the article suggests. So why not save your selves the embarrassment of being humiliated by Hamas?

To bring the soldiers back home safe and healthy. Invade Gaza for money? Com' on, bernard !

You got the supremacy, you brain dead idiot, you been 'fighting' sheep herders (equipped with slingshots and flying gutters) with the most sophisticated weapons and an equipment on US market ,...

He didn't have to: Israel's current leadership is doing it instead of him. Netanyahu just capitulated, by playing second banana to Pharao Mursi. Netanyahu has just showed why he shouldn't run this country and why he is better than the Israeli Left. I'm seriously starting to think that even Arab-lover Zahava Galon would do a better job, than Bibi the Capitulator. Any government that includes Ehud Barak will never finish the job once and for all.

I ran as a write in candidate in USA to try and give Israel support from United States..Put my name in to run for Prime Minister..I will come to Israel and defend her..I'm a direct decendant of King Dovid..Shimshon slew 1000 with the jawbone of a donkey.. Signed -FEARLESS-

Whether or not the cease-fire holds, Hamas emerges from these attacks as the winner and Israel as the loser, politically and strategically.

the arabs see the truce as a sign of weakness , by isreal and this what they have been waiting for, i have said this many times on this forum , give in to them and you are on the slippery slope now they know that there rockets reaching tel-avi is a all new ball game and they will hang you out to dry you should have bombed them till they seeked mercy ,

I know that you had hard decisions to make, and I'm not wearing your shoes to demand anything, but maybe you could had done more damage to hamas, and you wouldn't have had to worry about the Southern front. I also know that the US played a part in your decision making, and that government my friend is way more dangerous than hamas. However, I still feel that you are the man for PM of Israel.