[airspirit]

Don't go after Israel on human rights records, or you show ignorance. They are fighting an enemy with no regulars: the palestinians are using guerilla forces to fight the Israelis, and doing so in populated areas usually in the attempt to get as many palestinian civilian casualties as possible in an effort to gain sympathy for their cause. Further, they regularly target civilian targets, unlike the Israelis who are attempting to destroy terrorist cells which hide in civilian areas. Unfortunately, the method that the palestinians "wage war" ensures civilian casualties, especially when civilians are chucking rocks and other things at the Israeli soldiers sent in to root out these cells. It is difficult to imagine being one of those soldiers trying to tell who is a combatant and who is not, when you have 10 year olds throwing rocks at you and 20 year olds shooting AK47s and RPGs at you from directly behind them.

It is a show of restraint from the Israeli forces that there aren't more civilian casualties. Imagine yourself in the shoes of one of those soldiers and try to guess what you would do, knowing that even those 10 year olds would try to kill you if they had the chance, but that you have to do everything in your power to avoid hurting them. It is very difficult to do.

I don't blame Israel from trying to protect itself, and I don't blame the Palestinians from wanting a state of their own. The mindless killing that is most often spurred by palestinian terrorist activity in order to further their cause. Both sides need to come to the table and make a deal. Until the Palestinians stop their violence, though, I can't blame the Israelis for defending themselves, because however legit you consider their nationhood, they ARE a nation in all rights at this point and the palestinians do not have one. The Israelis do not HAVE to submit, and their willingness to compromise is a sign that they are going above and beyond what is required of them.

Don't blame the Israelis for that violence down there. Blame the terrorists that are doing their best to enflame it. This will require you to look past the propaganda you see on the news and actually think about the situation, but I'm sure that if you're able to type somewhat coherently on this forum that you can do a decent job thinking it through.

If I was running that show, I'd kick every one of their asses out of Israel and set my military on the border to keep them out. That would solve the problem right there and then. The fact that they aren't doing this should demonstrate honorable intentions.