what matter whoever is gonna be in charge is being able to learn lessons from this experiece. And the most imprtant lesson is, don't go and fight if you can sit and talk, the world is changing, so, don't stick to the same strategy, if you manage to win before in 67 against huge countires like Egypt and Syria and Jordan in 6 days, and you can't even shake a small country with local fighters in 33 days, then it's better to change the way of dealing with others.

and not a representative sample of the real israeli population.

98% of the Israeli Right would have admitted that the Olmert, Peretz and the IDF failed.

The only winners in war are the undertakers. This skirmish, as to call it a war is laughable, only proved two major points: 1) Sovereign nations that willingly, or unwillingly, harbor "foreign" militias will suffer the majority of the damage inflicted in response to the militias' activities; ask any Afghani if you don't believe me. 2) The only way to effectively stop long distance strikes from fortified emplacements is to scorch the earth and then dig the fighters out in close combat while eliminating all sources of reinforcement and re-supply - encircle, exterminate, and embargo. The problem posed in #1 is that you forfeit your sovereignty by harboring a foreign militia, and much like cancer in a human body, this foreign body consumes resources, damages normal tissue, spreads throughout the body and eventually kills the host. The problem posed in #2 is that to combat the tactic, employed in this case by Hezbollah, but at least as old as Attila (catapulting diseased carcasses over city walls), is you must have the stomach to encircle, exterminate, and embargo. This is messier than it seems since lots of non-combatants will be encircled, exterminated, and embargoed too. Unfortunately the various Geneva conventions are in need of updating to reflect the new reality of non-sovereign combatants who do not subscribe to the rules. This may not warm the cockles of the hearts of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, but the updating will require less protection of belligerents and non-combatants in these types of conflicts. The less desirable option is to realize that a sovereign nation, choosing between survival and adherence to accepted international norms will always choose survival. Only Israel, United States, and the UN are gullible and guilt-ridden enough to fight ineffectively for any length of time. Ask yourself honestly, what would China be doing if "Taiwanese freedom fighters" was firing 4,000 missiles at them from within Vietnam or if France was taking this fire from “Basque freedom fighters” into Bayonne, Toulouse, and Lourdes. Perhaps victory is Israel’s because the rockets stopped; maybe victory is Hezbollah’s because they survived to fight another day; the question is how many victories these parties can afford, again don’t ask me, ask King Pyrrhus of Epirus.

The post-Zionist Kadima and Labor parties are doomed to fail at war and at peace. Ideologically bankrupt, pathologically afraid of the UN/EU/US axis of complicity, and strategically rudderless, these apparatchniks should stand trial for leading the nation into a war it never intended to win.

Ask the American guys stuck in Iraq, where Rumsfeld, a former Navy pilot, started the war with inadequate ground troops and tried to continue that way, with the result that the war is now "unwinnable" in conventional terms. Gen. Halutz might have made an excellent pilot, but the myth of the IAF is just that - a myth. The air force can't do it alone. Gen. Israel Tal's book "National Security" states that while air superiority is needed for victory, it cannot be achieved without ground troops. And with ground troops you get casualties unfortunately (especially politically). The rules have changed, and it's time to rethink IDF strategy. If Hizbullah was fighting Vietnam over, we were fighting 1967 - and not getting very far.

What a great guerrilla force? The only problem with that picture was that Israel actually cared about limiting civilian causalities. Civilians did get hurt or killed because Hezbollah militants hid among women and children and staged scenes for the cameras. Hezbollah needs to stopped around the world, cut off the money.

and Olmert and the entire Kadima clan. We should only praise the courageous IDF for their efforts and remember they literally had their hands tied by the political aspirations of the inept "leaders". Get the blame where it belongs. H A L U T Z & O L M E R T!!

Extreme HATE: Responsibility for compliance of the resolution is given to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, infamous for his fanatical hatred of Israel. Extreme DECEIT: Equivalency is made between Iran's Hizbullah terrorist army' vicious unprovoked acts of war against Israel - 4,000 rockets fired at Israel and Israel's self-defense operations which the resolution refers to as "offensive" military operations. Images show Hizbullah using high-density residential areas to launch rockets: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,19955774-5007220,00.html Extreme RACISM: The damage and destruction to Israel is enormous. Israel's economy is devastated. Destruction in some Israeli towns is far worse than experienced by most people in the Lebanese cities of Beirut and Sidon. Profound Jew-hate is revealed in the resolution which asks for financial and humanitarian assistance for Lebanon the aggressor - but no assistance whatsoever for Israel the victim. Extreme DECEIT: The Lebanese government and Hizbullah are one and the same. The US, EU, UN are fully aware that Hizbullah terrorists are part of Lebanon's government and that the Lebanon government actively colludes with Hizbullah: YNETNEWS (08.12.06, 16:52) Siniora accepts deal, praises Hizbullah ...steadfastness of resistance fighters in field was very important,' http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3290107,00.html Extreme DISHONESTY: In 2,000, the UN determined that Israel had withdrawn to the international border. The resolution places Shaba Farms - legally belonging to Israel - up for negotiation. The laws of nations forbids land taken through aggression. The US, EU, UN unlawfully seek to reward Lebanon-Hizbullah-Syria-Iran for their unprovoked war of aggression against Israel. Extreme RACISM and DECEIT: In calling for disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, the US, EU, UN are fully aware Hizbullah will NEVER disarm and know they are giving Lebanon-Hizbullah victory over Israel and a massive victory for Syria and Iran, who sponsor Hizbullah in Iran's war against Israel and the free world. In the global war to bring all nations under Islamic subjugation, the US, EU, UN empowerment of global jihad wickedly betrays Israel and the world's non-Muslims. Photo Fraud in Lebanon Aish.com's new movie:http://www.aish.com/movies/JP/PhotoFraud.asp

It's the so-called leaders of this country who are complete failures. The IDF are amazing.

The IDF was not fighting a bunch of rock throwing fools armed at best with assault rifles and old RPGs. Iran had given the Hezzbos very lethal weaponry and a somewhat hardened, coordinated guerilla infastructure. They had a long time to prepare for this war. If nothing else this illustrates the danger of allowing factions like this to have militias armed with such dangerous weaponry. This is a problem that is going to haunt every country if the trend is allowed to continue. Now, who wants to take a chance on letting Iran possess nuclear weapons? I think Israel showed itself a responsible player on the world scene in responding on 2 occasions to calls to resist escalation and, finally, comply with a cease fire. In the end, however, Hezzbola must be disarmed and not permitted to rearm--one way or another.

I don´t know about politics, but IDF made an excellent performance in difficult conditions.

After wars, or any major tragedy in Israel, people think it's time to point the finger at the shortcomings of the government. The fact is, Israel has faught a valiant war against an evil and barbaric bunch of terrorists, who have had 6 years to plan this war. Was Lebanon asleep when this was all going on? I don't think so. Stop criticising, and let's pray for some peace and respite from the traumas of the last month.

Israel completely underestimates the trouble it is in. I cant see an Israel state in ten years time if that. I see so many Israeli's afraid to face reality that all the muslims have to do is send one missile into Tel Aviv and Israel will capitulate without hitting back (because they will not be sure which country sent the missile). Please print as the intention is to wake up Israel to the trouble it is in.

it was the politicians that didn't let them succeed.

Let us get rid of the kadima/labor gang.Let us rebuild our country and army with strong leadership.Let us get rid of all the failures in high places.

I believe that the Israel's politicians underestimated the strength of the Hizbullah's.Trrespective of whether the arms came from Iran or Syria,will the readers of this article accept the damming fact that the Israeli's army is one of the most sophistically armed in the world.To talk about anti-tank missiles,short range missiles and so forth is meant to get away from illiterates who would probably not understand the types of arms used in this type of conflicts.You can bet that Hizbullah will come out more stronger and eventfull than they did it this time.

Israel cannot survive such "leadership" by the Kadima/Labor coward imbeciles, whose entire platform is based on the lie of Land for Nothing. They have let Hizbuallah escape. Now, Hizbullah will rest, add more weapons and more fighters. Kadima/Labor have brought Israel its first strategic defeat. It cannot survive another. This government MUST fall and be replaced with those who acknowledge the threats Israel faces and realize that there is no substitute for victory.

Really? Is that based upon an accurate national sample? I have a difficult time believing that the number would be so high. At least the Labor Party has a history, and a reason to get support despite Peretz. But Kadima has no past, and no agenda except the now-discredited disengagement plan. Why would anyone vote for them?

Even if the Talmud teach that akkum is unable to learn the reality show otherwise

I wish we got our kidnapped soldiers back.

The IDF wasn't allowed to do the job which should have included destruction of Syra and Iran's ability to help terrorists. It should also have included driving the terrorists out of the West Bank and Gaza and enveloping Hizbullah/Hamas/Fatah and all local terrorists and destroying them completely. As well as driving out all UN forces. All aid should come through Israel to insure no support for the terrorists and all terrorist leaders should be hunted down wherever they are and killed. All terrorist assets should be sued and used for reparations. The IDF should have destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities and destroyed their secret police and intelligence and terrorist support agencies. Then Israel should have established a governement of Southern Lebanon and began to strengthen it until it is a refuge for all Lebanese who want to live free of tyrrany. The West Bank and Gaza and refugee camp Palestinian's should be given a choice to stay with provisional and revokable citizenship sending their children to public Israeli schools and forsaking all hate training or banished to Iran. Thus the West Bank and Gaza would be as they always have been Israeli territory. Furthermore, Israel should ban pornography, the sex trade, human traffiking, and drugs. Media in Israel should be controlled and owned only by Israelis as should all defense and critical industries/assets. God gave Israel the land it is theirs. (BTW I am not Jewish).

As brave IDF heroes fight and die for Israel, IDF soldiers are forced to suffer the anguish and demoralization of leaders who refuse to stand behind them. The lives of courageous IDF mean absolutely nothing to Israel's leaders who are cruel to Jews, but repeatedly show mercy to Israel's enemies. The resolution only refers to a return of the kidnapped soldiers in its preamble and not among the document's actual clauses. There is no mention of the kidnapped soldier in the south, Gilad Shalit." For the first time in the history of Israel, Israel's leaders surrender in war and treasonously support the UN Resolution which threatens Israel's survival.

The government failed miserably. They couldn't even put a clause in the resolution to get the soldiers back, even though there's a clause in the resolution to hand over the Lebanese prisoners! Kadima with Olmert, Peretz, and Peres need to GO. Israel needs a patriotic, strong, motivated government who will listed to the military when it comes to PROTECTING Israel and who will look after it's own citizens, INSTEAD OF expelling them from their homes!

Ahh, yes the glass is half full, but did you get your kidnapped soilders back.? How are you going to stop the rearmement of Hizbullah let alone inforce disarmenment? How many lifes did the micromanagement of this war by OLMERT, the Candyman with all his promises cost you? When will you have go back in Lebanon to finish the job you need to get done? Hey Mr. Candyman spin another tail of how you won threw appeassement, while your army is leaving with its tail between its legs for it did not finish its job because of your incompance . While Narsallah right now is throwing it back in your faces say he will not disarm and as he rearms and substitutes violence for your capitulation.

it is an egyptian say . Israel leaders could not see it coming . there is an indian say that say do not hit fly with cannon gun .. or it should back fires on you .. you got your selves involved in the hizbollah swamps .. you get your selves out .. and remember how does not see from the sieve is blind & do not hit fly with cannon gun ..

Israel need to fight with both hand IDF and independent cilivian force arm with rockets. Where state of Israel or IDF cannot fire, Israel citizen must be able to response with massive rocket fire. The world & UN never condamn Hizballah rocket fired at Israeli civilian. Israel should not fight with one hand tied up, USED THE OTHER HAND TOO>