Rick T

Get your facts right. "Israel went to war with Syria" No my friend,
Syria decided to wage war on Israel as did Egypt and Jordan. Not once, not twice but three times if you include the wars in 1948.

They lost and with it they lost the Golan Heights from which they had continually launched rocket and artillery attacks into Israel

Egypt lost the Sinai and Jordan the West Bank. After making lasting peace with Egypt the land was returned. A peacfull co-existance has endured ever since. Jordan likewise although I doubt they wanted the West Bank back.

Why does everybody seem to think that Israel is looking to build some vast empire and rule the region? It has no territorial demands and has offered its hand in peace on many occaisions. Who actually suffers, the Jews in Israel, well maybe on a small scale, or the Palestinians themselves. Until they give up the gun there will be no peace and the Palestinians will remain a displaced and disenfranchised people.

Graham , London, UK

Hey Tom, "Israel is a tiny, legitimate state founded sixty years ago by the Jewish people in their one and only homeland".
Just because you say it was "legitimate" doesn't make it so.

How do you feel about the settlements in the Golan Heights, or Shebaa farms. Is going to war twice with Syria a "legitimate" way to claim land?

Also, Barry from the Netherlands suggests that Israel's retaliation (with their possibly US funded superior arms), was something surgical, thus ignoring the first word of "suspected militants".

"An eye for an eye" is an old testiment idea, but if you keep up the violence, everyone becomes blind in the end.

Rick T, Dubai, UAE

the whole world is looking how hamas rain rocket on israel and respond by saying poor palestian in gaza,but the palestinian elected these terrorist who undescrimitely send rocket to israel from the midst of the people house. as long as these people will not revolt against hamas nothing will change. EUROPE DOES NOT ANT TO REALIZE THAT HAMAS AL QUEDA IS ALREDY IN EUROPE AND IT IS A MWTTER OF TIME THAT YOUR CITIES WILL BOMB .IT IS A WAR OF RELIGION. EUROPE WAKE UP DO NOT MAKE SAME MISTAKE LIKE WITH HITLER

DAVID OF SWITZERLAND

DAVID , ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

My answer to John from LONDON-

Assume a hypotetical situation that a group of 12 with weapons attack my house and suceeds in killing one family member. Having more firepower if I overcome and kill all 12 to protect myself and the rest of my family,do I have to apologize?
No I don't. If I shoot innocent bystanders by mistake while protecting my house yes I do but still it does not make me a terrorist.
The HAMAS and their like are deliberately targetting civilians.
Have you ever seen footage from Gaza after they suceed to kill a civilan or more(sometimes children) they distribute sweets!!

Moshe Haviv, Tel Aviv, Israel

John from London:

So if the Israelis and Palestinians were killing each other in equal numbers, that would be ok, would it?? Unbelieveable.

Perhaps the Palestinians wouldn't be dying if they hadn't:
a) carried out a 60 year guerrilla war against Israel.
b) elected terrorists to government.
c) consistently refused to acknowledge Israel's right to exist.
d) and now, apparently let Al-Qaeda in to the Gaza strip, presumably to help them murder innocent Israelis more efficiently.

The fact is, the Palestinians have been duped by other Arab nations into believing that if they continue their terrorist attacks against Israel, eventually they will get a state on their own terms. A free and independent Palestine will never exist until its leaders recognise that Israel is there to stay.

Izzie, Oxford,

John;
A rocket kills one innocent israeli man on a college campus, Israel targets MILITANTS who are firing these rockets with intent to kill... who is the terrorist in such an equation? where is the confusion?????

r krasner , london,

'just because Al Qaeda is there justifies Israel's ongoing killing of Pals. The Rockets kill one in return Israel kills 12! Who is the terrorist in such an equation'

The retaliation from Israel against your 'Pals' is specifically directed at those who are responsible for, and those who have the power to stop the daily launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel.

It is not as if members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are launching one rocket which then magically with its low technological capability injures a child or kills a college student. They are launching a daily barrage. Under all definitions this adds up to terrorism.

Whether or not you believe, as obviously you do that Israel is a terrorist state is a case you have not made. A higher death toll incurred by members of above mentioned groups does not automatically imply that Israel is 'the terrorist' and somehow in that equation your 'Pals' involved are relieved of their responsibility or title.

Middle Eastern Studies undergraduate, Birmingham, UK

The tiny difference is that Israel focuses on military targets that hide in between civilians while the Palestinian tactics for decades have been to kill as many as possible civilians. That civilians get killed during Israeli attacks is sad, but the Paletinian extremists are to blame for this, due to the fact that these extremists use the civilians as a shield.

Barry de Jong, Krommenie, Netherlands

There is no 'ongoing killing of Pals', John. Israel is a tiny, legitimate state founded sixty years ago by the Jewish people in their one and only homeland. She has faced and withstood relentless attacks from the neighbouring Arab states. This has now dwindled to rocket attacks, kidnappings and suicide bombings. Israel has a duty to defend its citizens against these. Just because they are Jews does not mean they should have to accept terrorism on their doorstep.

Tom, London,

So what are you implying? just because Al Qaeda is there justifies Israel's ongoing killing of Pals. The Rockets kill one in return Israel kills 12! Who is the terrorist in such an equation

John, London, UK

I suppose Israel will suffer the usual criticism when it retaliates.
Fairness, it seems, is only for Arabs (not the Christian ones, of course).

Mr. Abass is to be congratulated for being brave enough to tell the truth.

leila , manchester, uk