How can YNETNEWS print such amateurish, pathetic drivel? This piece belongs in a suicidal poets diary, not a "news" format site. Lebanon is "the only Arab country with a strong, effective army."? What the hell is she talking about? She is laughably ignorant of the facts, blind to the reality of the causes of the conflict, and pathetic in her rolling around in the manure of her delusions. Get this one: "The recent past, following the blood-soaked intifada, is full of our own mistakes." Sob, sniff, pass the knife and slice the wrist. Its our fault the Arabs hate us Jews. What can we do to make them like us? Rubbish. This type of thinking is what emboldened Hizb'Allah and Hamas in the first place. Ms. Sarena is what Islamists hope all Jews to become. G-d forbid all Jews lose their way and become guilt-ridden milk-toasts, as well!

That we could have avoided this? How?? By saying to the Hisbullah and to Hamas " Ok you kidnapped our soldiers, what can we do for you ? ". This is possibly the STUPIDEST article I have ever read.

Mr. Yigal your article is great .. I wish all Israilis were like you.. Israilis leaders should wake up and open their eyes and take lessons from the history of wars in Lebanon and Arafat's death ....

these delusional leftists still dont get it michael savage is 100% right ,that libelalism is a mental disease chaim brooklyn n.y

That's silly. You want negotiations, yet you say in both places there is a vacuum of leadeship. NEGOTIATE WITH A VACUUM ?????

Even if if comes from an Israeli Jew.

Why is America involved in this article? WE did nothing. A soldier was captured NOT kidnapped. Now 3 soldiers have been captured.. NOT kidnapped. So why is it America's fault Israel decided to declare war on 2 fronts? Seems to me that Israel/palestine wont be happy until they both dont exist. I am still unable to fathom why civilians are being targetted by Israeli fighters. *sigh*

It is true, Israel does not need to defend itself. It has the choice to do nothing and accept its fate. That's a choice. Take a walk on that slippery slope, let them kidnap your soldiers and make that choice to negotiate. Let them see that you are reasonable and that you will respond in a civilized manner to any provocation no matter how horrible. You will be rewarded, no doubt with the return of all of the dead bodies. There is always the choice to do nothing and comfort yourself with the thought that acting would have made it worse. It will comfort you all the way to the grave.

good read from a wise man with a vision

Why not develop a puppet to keep the peace in the territories?

Remember Golda Meir's words about arabs hate of jews is more than love for their children... Look at these people's pictures. A demented woman who is a mother waving 2 pistols in the air in the happiness that Hamas took hostages. How you can even call them humans? They lost even the most important element of humans: a will to live. Now they are trying to take everyone else to the grave... No way, they will go there primarily by themself and we (Israel) should help them with their desire.

Mr. Yigal Sarena I praise your wise vision . Israeli Leaders should look for Ariel Sharon's advice before they go such adventures in Lebanon and Gaza. But unfortunately they obviously still need long time to realize the bitter reality, which is Peace with Arabs is the only way and solution.

The liberal has been made into a dirty word. The fact is the United States was founded on liberalism and or rational thought. You confuse Liberal with weak, indecisive, and an utter refusal to fight when one has to. Israel can no longer continue the win the battle and lose the war by allowing the enemy to rebuild. Israel is in a fight for its life. It must be bold and swift. It must ignore the rest of the world and do what needs to be done. That is the utter and complete destruction of her enemies by any means. No more negotiations. If it means no one above the age of 10 of the enemy lives so be it. It is the only way there will be peace. Israel needs to think like historical Rome. That is let the people who wish to in Syria and Lebanon and Iran join the side of Israel. Tarin them any any lands they take our their families. Give them the promise of a better life by being an ally. Hit them hard and foster the civil war within them. To do anything but competely defeat the enemy is to give the enemy a chance to strike again. Nothing can be acceptable accept complete and utter destruction of the enemy and their indoctination machine.

WHY ISN'T MR. SARENA'S AFFILIATION LISTED? FROM THE CONTEXT OF HIS PIECE WE KNOW THAT HE IS A HARD-CORE LEFTY WHO THINKS THAT THE US STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT WING REFLECT THE TRUE AMERICAN OPINION. HE IS WAY OFF BASE. MOST AMERICAN LEADERS, SUCH AS PRESIDENT BUSH AND SENATOR McCAIN HAVE EXPRESSED FULL SUPPORT. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE YOU OPINE.

Finally, Israel had to be "told" that it was at war by Hamas and Hezbollah. You Israelis either start thinking straight or you will suffer and suffer and suffer. I grew up wondering why European Jewry just sat around thinking that Hitler "didn't mean it" or that "this too will pass"...and kept on with their lives instead of fleeing for their lives. Now I understand completely. It is because of thinking like yours....

Its a most necessary war. Its good the arabs attacked. Now we must disengage from the whole west bank. They will start firing katushas on us and then we can destroy their settlements in the west bank as well. The world has seen once and for all that the arabs and jews cannot live together

This war is, of course, a result of Olmert-Livni policy. They simply invited it. On the other hand, if the Likud were in power then we would had a peace for another 4 years, and then the attack from Lebanon would had arrived when they were replaced by the left. So, perhaps, it is better to get rid of some rockets now before they will get much bigger rockets. So this is a plus for Peres-Olmert-Livni government. The public is not ready yet for real Peace and the Right-wing government (not Natanyaho-Shalom or Olmert-Livni types).

The Arabs of Gaza had a chance to end the poverty. What other people on earth have so much economic aid? They chose to continue their effort to destroy Israel. The war was not one derived from economic frustration, but the result of their own fanatical desires.

True, this is an unnecessary war created by Iran. While the whole world is frantically watching this war unfolding, Iran is busy baking nuclear bombs.

"Peace in our time", right Yigal? Time and time again, brave men and women have to shed their blood to protect people like you who are to self-absorbed and ignorant to view the world the way the world is; the way you wish it were. And to Steve from NY: You have strong words for Israel regarding supposed attacks on civilians, but I notice your decidely silent regarding the Katushya attacks against Israeli citizens. Or are Jewish citizens not considered citizens to you?

I say yes because let the Israelis and all the world see their unbelievable nerve and madness of blaming themselves for EVERYTHING. They want the end of war at all costs even if it means thousands of Jews dead and all Arabs OK. Some points to consider. -Remember it is the Jews' fault as the author stated that WE Jews did not strengthen Mahmoud Abbass and his party. His party being a murderous and corrupt organization of thugs stealing from the Palestinians was OBVIOUSLY the Jews' fault. -Why strike back at terrorist groups sworn to our genocide? Why not sit down at a table and serve them some nana tea. Surely they will act in a civilized manner and proceed to fall in love with us. If they don't, it must be our fault as Jews.

well, i had many arabic friends, a lot of them have jewish friends, they don't hate the jews, the hate that cancer which settaled between their organs since 1947, the israeils, it is obvious israel don't want to give the palestininan the minium at least the 1967 borders and so, their will never be peace if israel still that arrogant, u r hated by all ur neigbours, please do something to be loved!!

guys, if killing one being is the answer for killing another, where do you this will end?. the killing of millions? would that stop killing the remaining? you cannot point fingers at who started it. no one knows who started it. but it was started. each side will have a point to say the other side started it. this is the case with any of the long standing fights between countries. israel-palestine, india-pakistan, . please enlighten me to any of the war's that had improved the living conditions of the people where the war has been fought?. i dont have a solution. but I am sure there are millions of people who agree, killing each other will not solve anything.

how about unilateral withdrawal from gaza. wouldnt that satisfy some of the hatred?

It is astonishing to me that, after the abject failure of the ridiculous policy of passivity and moral equivalence that you advocate, people like you would have gall to write nonsense like this. You and the other fools who think like you are largely responsible for convincing the enemy that the Jews are weak and on the run. Fortunately, most Israeli Jews are not infected with your pathological ideology.

What a sensible article, displaying some understanding of the realities of the situation. What a shame that it is promptly attacked by the hate filled ignorant who have helped bring about this desperate situation. N. C.

Sarcasm is a pretty low form of discussion. However I do not think Jenny need worry, Israeli publications do not seem to encourage letters from people who are not pro- Israeli and certainly not from people who think it just possible that Israeli actions have brought about an escalation. Prove me wrong Mr Editor and let me write more as well. N C

why are you concerned about israeli wish of returning to pre-1967 borders? If you start saying the jewish independent state is a cancer why do you expect so much from it? The fact is that portugal which i had the oportunity to visit is far away behind the israeli social, economical and scientifical development. You're still a country of a huge number of iliteratte people and almost half of your population that can read can't understand what they read ( analfabetos funcionais). Besides you are a top racist country as of your example and many news and experiences i have from you. Happy you if you were a "cancer" like you say Israel is. whom will you blame for your own people ignorance and underdevelopment? WE JEWS?