that Israel always goes to the rescue for her neighbors. Of course this will be brushed by Israel's critics. It's the same for the money that Israel donated to Peru. What the haters decided to ignore was the people power that Israel sent to that region to help those in need. How many were sent from the arab world? Just wondering if we can make a small comparison.

Last it was Peru, now it's Greece. And refugees studying in our schools... See and learn!!! This is a country under economical strain, fighting every day for its existence - BUT IT STILL ALWAYS HELPS WHEREVER, WHENEVER IT IS NEEDED!!! I'm proud to pay my taxes to this State... the most civilized of nations!

What good is all this good will all they will do is become more pro Palis and vote against us in the UN. We gain nothing from helping the world. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com/

Israel's fire department needs training and certification. I have seen them at work and they have no expertise whatsoever. Like children playing with fire and playing doctor. Sending them to greece will only show them how inept our fire department is and risk the lives of the proffesionals there as well as the Israelis. No one need to babysit in times of emergency, it is a liability. Politicians, do something for Israel instead. Train, certify and spot check the emergency services - lives are consitantly being lossed by negligence, greed (not giving oxygen to trauma viticms in order to save money) and forbidden techniques - especially with working-fires in occupied structures (such as external fire-attacks). We need an investigative report to record activities of the fire and ambulance services and take it to a US fire department for analyiss. These men and women are getting PAID to be professionals. Let them earn their pay. Politicians, get another expert opinion if you don't believe it. It is really really bad. Probably hunderds of lives a year could be saved.

On a recent flight on Olympic Airlines (never again!) I flipped through the in-flight magazine only to find a big feature on how Greece had provided aid to Lebanon after "the Israeli attack" of 2006. They of course never even considered sending aid to Israel, or helping us put out the bush fires started by katyusha rockets (and likely by Arab arsonists as well). A year later, the wheel has turned, and we are running to help them put out their fires. Why don`t the Greeks ask their Lebanese brothers to return the favour? I am not in principle against Israel providing aid, and believe that this is morally probably the right thing to do. However, our motives are suspect: we want the world to like us, and will do anything to impress our "friends". The fact is, it is better to be respected than to be liked, and until the Israeli society and body politic understands this, we`re not going to get anywhere. Having said that, behatzlacha to the firefighters.

Greece's aid to Lebanon was not intended as an affront to Israel, nor, do I believe, was it motivated by some deep-seated prejudice relating to the Palestinian conflict. Moreover, I don't think Israel has such a motive; that is, as you say, to impress their 'friends.' and to be "liked." Greece and Israel have been establishing closer economic and political ties in recent years, and I believe this is a reflection of that. Besides, Israel and Greece have always shared amicable relations. Don't forget, Israel sent aid to Greece during a major earthquake on the Island of Kefalonia in 1953, with a message expressing gratitude for the efforts made by Kefalonians to save the lives of Jews during the German occupation. Anyway, I don't want to politicize this any further. Regardless of the ostensible "motive", this assistance deservedly is appreciated and will not be forgotten!

I am very greatful for any help no matter wher it comes from. I am especially greatful when it comes from a country that knows what it is like to have diabolical neighbors. No person should be burned or have his property destroyed. Hubris should never be inflicted on the forest. Thank you Israel from a greatful Greek Jew!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm really astonished!!! Maybe you haven't heard of how Greeks saved even risking their own lives and their family lives Jews from Nazi's!!! And trust me there are still people who are grateful for this!!!!! Reading history sometimes helps !!!! Not forgetting it teaches! You see the present but you seem willing to forget that Greece embraced Jews when they were literally led out of countries like Spain!!!! Yes we do bring gifts and we hope that people do not forget them!!! We don't expect gratitude, otherwise you can call it as a small payback at least for the part of civilization we have contributed globally!! AND IT IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a Greek native of Istanbul, I was 5 when the Turks organized a huge destructive pogrom in 1955 against the Greek community of the city, burning our churches, destroying our homes and businesses and desecrating our cemeteries. It was much worse than Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany (Read the book "Mechanism of Catastrophe" by US professor Spyros Vryonis, 2005 which gives a thorough account ). Many years later I emigrated to the US. Greeks are especially sensitive to the suffering of other people because of the the huge suffering they endured under the Nazi occupation in WWII where they fought for over 200 days (Denmark surrendered to Hitler's solo motorcyclist) and resisted for 3 years, and then the Greek civil war with the communists. They remember Cyprus where the Turkish army practiced brutal ethnic cleansing in 1974 making a third of the Greek population refugees. Greece would help Lebanon and anyone else if it can (even helped Turkey in the 1999 earthquakes where Israel also helped). Helping the victims of disaster is a human trait Greeks and Jews share. They should build on that for a better friendship. Alex

Lebanon is a small country ,and in 2006 every single bridge every road ,everything was destroyed by isreal...and I dont think some fires cause by katshuya was so hard to put out,but the pollution on the Lebanese caost caused by israel when she destoyed the petrole reserve in Jeih near beyrouth and all the petrole went to the sea and isreal stayed 2 month blocking Lebanon by the sea so we coudlnt clean them that much harder to get rid off than some small fire!! when he can help he'll always help Lebanon helped Cyprus by providing water..and I wanna thank greece for everything she've done for lebanon!!