wonderfull article ...full of facts numbers ...good work .. thank you

"...they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: 'We desire death like you desire life.'" - from a broadcast speech by Hamas parliamentarian Fathi Hammad earlier this year.

Israel is "officially" a democratic country, but it's really not. Just like the judges in Israel are self-appointed, Olmert is also a self-appointed Prime Minister. He took over Sharon's place without anyone’s approval. His party was elected, but he NEVER was. The question is why Kadima allowed him to and why they don't kick him off? I agree with you on the rest of your talkback.

Israel is fighting on the most warped battlefield - ever. If Israel could fight like her enemy, it would be acceptable to fire rockets at civilian homes, stores and schools. It would be acceptable to capture hamas operatives and imprison them without trial without hope. It would be acceptable for all Jews to aspire for the deaths of every last palistinean. No according to the current rules, Israel cannot fight like arabs and pangs of guilt and sorrow must be felt every time an aspiring terrorist is killed.

The terrorists have fired over 4,000 rockets at our civilians this year from Gaza. That is at least that many attempted murders. And how many Arabs have been killed in our attempts to prevent the attacks? 100-200. Seems like we are not using ENOUGH force. Since the attacks are increasing not decreasing. And how many Arabs have been murdered by other Arabs in Gaza this year - 400-800 so far. Hummm seems to me that their side is more dangerous to their people than we are. No wonder why our pinpricks do not seem to be effective.

I’d like to remind you that during Lebanon war, when Lebanese rocket killed 2 Arab children in Israel, Nasrallah told there parents that they have to be proud that there children became mortirs. Why you think that it is a noble thing when Arabs kills Arabs children, and terrible crime, when Arab children died during Israeli attack? I’d like to remind you about last year practice, when Israeli army dropped warning that they going to bomb weapon factory. What happened next Hamas call children and women occupied that site. Why you using your children as a weapon in political game. It’s look like that everybody concern about Palestinian children, except Palestinian adults.

You still need to learn how to interpret statistics... You're saying that ALL the Alies together killed 16,000,000 german civilians, and you're comparing that to the brittish civilians killed. However, the least you should do is include the French ( 267,000) and Russian (11,400,000) civilians killed. Not to mention the 6 million civilians the Germans killed in concentration camps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_B1H-1opys#IIfAj_eg2EE where has he been ?

Yes it is tragic when Palestinian children are accidentally killed by Israeli military actions. We say that and we mean it. Yet, while we must avoid civilian casualties whenever reasonable possible we must also accept that fighting Palestinian terrorists necessitates going into civilian areas or attacking the terrorists there. If B. Michael has any shred of moral sense he/she will ask: Why do the Palestinian terror groups fire missiles into Israeli towns and villages every day of the year knowing that Palestinian civilian casualties are inevitable? The answer is that Hamas et al want civilian casualties in order to put international and even domestic pressure on Israel to stop responding and allow Hamas etc to have a free hand with their terror. Only enemies of Israel would agree to this. Michael needs to think about and hopefully understand this. Lastly, the term 'children' can also include armed teenagers who set out to kill Israelis therefore only unarmed youngsters under 16 should be classed as children.

I agree with #11. Why does just anyone who has an opinion able to print it and lie to the readers? Ynet is very irresponsible.

I must say that "Reality Check, (#23)" is quite right in a couple of points. How does an alledgedly international columnist representing a country that is a fulcrum of world events write so poorly and slothlike? He must put some thought and research behind his work that would inspire a real dialog for the readers, not just an one-sided filler that is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to some #'s and the word "child." His article is not an opinion-editorial analysis, but a blathering misguided pontification

Well, you understand one thing: "You still need to learn how to interpret statistics". That was precisely my point. I will give another angle. The Arabs of Israel are making maximum effort to exterminate Jews: Kassam rockets, suicide terrorists, and the occasional stabbing is the maximum that these primitive barbarians are capable of. If they had F-16 strike planes, tanks, artillery, and the ability to use them, then we would see hundreds of thousands of Jews murdered. If Israel - which DOES have F-16 strike planes, tanks, artillery, and the ability to use them - were to make maximum effort to exterminate the Arabs, then there would be none left within a week or two. Less subtly: 11 Israeli children murdered represents the maximum that the murderers from Gaza can achieve, and they would far more if they but could. If Israel wanted to, they could kill millions (literally) more than the 452 that B. Michael claims (and where did he come up with that statistic from? Hamas propaganda? The PLO? The UN?)

I am still trying to figure out the objective of this article. Surely the author can bring himself to look at the situation in its entire context. Nobody is happy that children are killed, neither in war nor peace, but that is the reality in the Gaza and could also be the reality in Israel had it not been for Divine Providence and a totally different approach to war practised by Israel. Mr Michael should really deal with his morose feelings and deep remorse by simply going off into the desert and repent for 40 days, wear sackcloth and ashes and eat locusts instead of unburdening himself on others who are also trying to deal with a bad situation. I speak for myself and I am not even a Jew.

40 years in desert did not help the jews but the mercy of god .. but sure god is not for jews only but for you and me also /iam a human like the jews and the cristians

Don't you get it, war hurts. Your enemy wants to fight you, you are stronger so he gets hurt. This makes sense, this is logical. Why are you so upset? Ask your enemy to make peace so his childern wont die. It's how peace is made. Have you learned nothing?

B. Michael should know that Arabs in Israeli jails have routine access to the Red Cross.I wonder why he does not write about Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwaser and Eldad Regev instead of hateful articles.He should be a little more human.

Typical, stupid leftist remarks. Based on the fact alone that Israel shows remorse for the deaths of Palestinian children and conduct internal investigations, whereas Palestinians dance, shoot off guns, and pass out candy when Israeli children are killed, should be all that is necessary to know the difference. Israel has NEVER DELIBERATELY TARGETED CIVILIANS, AND HAS DONE MROE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY TO AVOID HITTING CIVILIANS. Even when their own civilians are being attacked. Typical, stupid leftist remarks.

is it possible to write something more stupid!!?? Why more children killed among palestinians? Simple The bomb senders are working from their kitchen so...

If this guy is even Jewish all he is trying to do is appease the gentiles.

or attempting to blow up Israelis, than are Israelis shooting at the Palestinians. You fire far more bullets, you lob far more bombs, although Hamas and Islamic JIhad are trying to change that fact... This is why they do not kill as many of your children. Far fewer of them are involved in the confilct. For the most part, their chief combatants, the rock throwers, are in fact attacking soldiers for the most part. Very few Palestinians are involved in attacking Israelis, very few. So they kill fewer people in total. It is the amount of ordinance placed in the confilct. Whoever puts in the most, kills the most. The majority of Palestinians are children; therefore, lots of them will get in the "way".

"The attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups are widespread, systematic and in pursuit of an explicit policy to attack civilians. They therefore constitute crimes against humanity under international law. They may also constitute war crimes" http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020032002?open&of=ENG-ISR

Correction.. It gains you the loathing of the large part of the entire planet.. Gosh, wonder why??

Good show for running this, YNet. Thank you.

Mr Michael's cynicism falls flat. His little piece is quite wrong and morally outrageous. It is a fact of life - one that our mentality can't grasp, but a fact nonetheless - that the Palestinains and Hezbullah hide among and behind civilians while they are fighting Israel. As much as you don't like it, the Palestinians are to blame for all the civilian casualties they suffer - and using civilians as shields is a war crime. In an article by Don Radlauer the following excerpt is important: "The use of 'protected' people and facilities for military purposes is called 'perfidy' under international law. When combatant forces take unfair advantage of the protected status accorded to civilians, medical personnel and facilities, surrendering troops, and so on, the entire logical and ethical structure of the regulation of combat breaks down. When soldiers lose their trust in the harmlessness of apparent noncombatants; when they discover that ambulances are being used to transport fighters or ammunition; when they find military supplies stored in hospitals, schools, or houses of worship, they can no longer be expected to treat these people, vehicles, and places as sacrosanct. And, of course, when 'protected' targets lose their protection, the innocent pay the price. The fact that they don't wear a uniform should not obscure the fact that this is a war which will result in a loss of face if the Arabs lose, and the loss of a state if Isrel loses.

Eleizer - You're from Jerusalem, right? Thought so. And you talk about eliminating 'the hatred of Jews/Israeli subject and glorification'. Not quite sure what you mean by that - maybe 'the hatred of Jews/Israeli occupation and continuing rape of a land that is not theirs' would be more accurate. And you really think a civilised response to a child throwing rocks at an armored tank is to shoot the child dead? So, that is your opinion of the value of an Arab life? Says it all really.

The NYT Saturday May 3 explains this. The first page article entitled,"Israel's Tactics Thrwart Attacks With Trade Off." Unfortunately children's deaths are part of self defense to thwart bombers.