YES! YES! YES!

Drop leaflets. Tell them exactly what areas of Gaza or the West Bank will be bombed. If you really believe that this shaking of your rifle in the air works for the Arab population. Put your words where your ideas spurt out from. There's no excuse for casualties, unless they can't read. A bomb for a bomb, maybe it will work, or maybe Palestinians like living on top of bombed out rubble. It's worth a try. Precision bombing by GPS sattelite is better than it used to be. Much better than Qassam Rockets.

It's painful that our govts., one after the other, don't have this wisdom, or courage. They've allowed Sderot to be shelled for five years running, just for example. Five years. By a few lousy terrorists, while the IDF, hundreds of thousands strong, has to sit on its hands and play games. Unfortunately, the populace is so numbed by now that, unlike in the early days of Oslo, we don't demonstrate to demand that our lives be taken seriously. Nobody takes our lives seriously anymore, including us. Hence the popularity of Kadima.

This insightful and universally acceptable line of reasoning must be the IDF's way.

Hmmmm just one or two massive Israeli attacks will do the trick, according to the optimists, as if the Arabs will be both intimidated and defeated from further provocations against Israel. Egypt alone has over 600,000 regular troops and an arsenal of weapons greater than that of Israel. Syria and Hezbollah have vast amounts of missiles aimed at the Jewish state. WMD are abundant throughout the area, all aimed at Israel's vulnerable coastal cities and communities. Getting Iran out of the nuclear business is no small feat, and it too has an enormous military capability. Let us not forget the US reaction (and the EU) to such an attack by Israel. There would be calls for boycotts immediately and sanctions. Can Israel cope with and eudure such scenarios? And what I ask, can Israel do as suggested, bomb Damasus, or Cairo, or Beirut or Tehran massively, without aircraft carriers or bases to sustain such an arial bombardments and with a limited amount of air to surface and surface to surface missiles. No, Israel's supposed measured responses, are not so meansured as claimed by the author and as with some diseases, maintain a certain amount of erosion, but limit it's scope. As Abbas Eban once said, Israel just might have to live with a certain amount of violence and accept it. I cry for Israel's losses since Oslo 1, but they would be much greater if a real war broke out. The Arabs can lose mllions, but Israel is not so well situated.

Israel's responses are predicated at placating Europe Israel is fearful about European economic reprisals for strong and indiscriminate reactions. It is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

where does the author get his ideas from? we've tried the" large-scale maneuver" in lebanon and in the west bank and the gaza strip... to no avail. when we responded to the intifada with 'breaking bones' did they cease?

Iraq, Alghanistan and Israel have much in common. With the greatest army ever, (US) in Iraq and Afghnistan, 20,000 Jihadists are slowly winning that conflict. We are tiring of loosing soldiers and spending 6b month. Israel called up it's army in 67, 73 and all the Intifadas and Wars of Attrition, and it still is problematic as to the final winner. ISRAEL did not defeat uncondionally the Arab countries in any war, as we did to Japan and Germany. Israel is caught between the Med. and the Jordan River literally. It will have to tolerate some casualties, perhaps for generations. I don't see any alternatives, most especially if the Arabs go nuclear. The MAD approach, may be the only viable one. 50,000 body bags were prepared by the Rabbis in 67, and never used. But what about the future, with 000s of missiles (WDM) aimed at little Israel? True, Israel might be victorious, but at what price. This conflict is difficult and complicated. Israel must however continually get stronger. That is the real deterrent, Im afraid to admit. The fence helps, but Kassams won't respect it as we are learning. Israel must as we say here "pick it's spots" .

Interesting theory. Somehow I cannot seem to accept it. I see no gain for the Arabs who simply wish to 'flex their muscles' as a deterent. Isn't this what you are basically saying? What would be the point? What can they gain. We are not a threat to them, but they to us. And how can one compare the reactions between arab and arab in tribal customs to them and us; the enemy they pray to destroy at any means.

For 2,000 years, Arab has been fighting Arab, Muslim vs Muslim. The saying went after 48, that Israel's enemies were divided, thus their lack of coordination. Syria sent tanks into Jordan, and Israel forced them back. Intra-Arab strife is not necessarily good for Israel. In Iraq, Shite hates Sunni, but they both hate Israel. Israel realistically is not a threat to Arab sovereignty, but it is perceived that way, as the culprit of all Arab ills, the ursurper, the interloper, the Western outpost in the M.E, the guarantor of American dominance (oil politics and all that). It's perception that counts. Many deny the Holocaust and claim Jewish contrivance resulted in the 911 bombings. A Jewish cabal runs the US gov't is but one rumor in the M.E. In America, Arabs claim the Iraq war was started to aid Israel. But had Israel lost one war, there would not today be one discussion about refugees. No Jew would survive the onslaught. Israel therefore must pick it's spots, remain strong (er) and provide adequate defenses for it's population (Iran now is separating uranium-I ask why?). The answer is obvious. I would go further and start building bomb shelters (for the Jews). Now that would send the right message to Iran's mad mullahs.

in any party as in marrage they are dancing in stiks in sward and sometimes let a horse dance in the ceromony some times use shotting in the air all these to tell that they are happy they win the wars ///it is not for threating enemies ///but if any can put the nuclear bomb at his side it is not to threat other it is to win and dance in thier bombing why they are singing in the wars and said [lololi] it is not that the shahid willbe in paradise but becouse there is a win to the enemy and god reword so get it as it is

...and less mummys boys from the AirForce. People dont volunteer for a Kravi unit because they dont want to fight yes? And they will do a much more precise better job than those arrogant egomaniac airforce morons who think that the world owes them a big favour and that they are higher than everyone else - but when they attack they cause all this ''collateral damage'' What for? Use the soldiers - we will do it much more precisely and we will kill who we need to kill and leave the rest in peace

You've just described the reason why Sharon is so popular (unfortunately). Israelis think that he is tough and will protect them - and his very presence as Prime Minister is a threat to the Arabs. His actions, though, are pure appeasement. At the same time that he is endangering us, most people think that he is protecting us.

the ultimate threat is to send in the Golem and Sharon has the magic words

Mr. Bechor couldn't be more right! The Lion of Judah needs to show it's teeth unless it wants to be regarded as a pussycat in it's part of the world. Pre-emption was the hallmark of Israeli governments throughout the decades of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. What happened? The notion of a "peace process" is an illution. There is only a one (Israeli) sided process of capitulation, withdrawal, and concession to the forces of darkness, terrorism,and savagery. Previous governments understood the central point of Mr. Bechor's article and "spoke" to the above in their "language"; the language of the gun, the bomb, and knife; the only language they seem to understand. I, like, all peace loving people would like to believe you can reason with the Devil, but appeasement is never the answer as we all know too well. While I respect and pray for Arik, I know Bibi understands and supports Mr. Bechor's thesis and will act accordingly if the Israeli electorate provides him the opportunity.