Gaza, Israel, War, Peace

This is the very basic issue. Whether it is Bush or Obama, or Israel or France, or Russia or Egypt, no government is going to sit idly while thousands of rockets are fired at their citizens. Also if someone breaks into your house and kills one of your children with a club are you going to find a club to fight him proportionally while he attacks your other children or do you get your gun and shoot him?

On the other side Israel did occupy Gaza for 40 years and did little to improve the lives of the people.  Israel did not allow self government and blocked any attempts to create an independent Palestinian state. In this Israel is guilty of neglect and inaction at the very least.

Israel, like it or not, is a permanent part of the middle east.  7 million Jews will not pack and move to Europe. Gaza must deal with this fact. Gaza cannot defeat Israel . They can as they have proved cause problems for Israel and even kill some of its citizens but as Israel has proved when this happens they can cause even more damage to Gaza. So for any resolution other than two more generations of war Hamas must accept Israel as a neighbor, while disputing the exact border, and learn to live in peace.

Israel can defeat and could even totally destroy Gaza if they are willing to commit genocide but they will not do that. If they did they would be a Jewish island surrounded by 200 million hostile Arabs, who would in the next generation overwhelm them.Israel must accept an independent Palestinian state, help it get started economically and engage in trade and cooperation with them. Otherwise Israel must reoccupy Gaza or face generations of fighting with Gaza.

And the debate on this is mostly not debate but is in in fact 90% propaganda talking talking points for or against one side or the other.

Israelis are Nazis.--Hamas are terrorists.

And more along this line. These types refuse to ad admit any right by the other side or any wrong by their side. "We are 100% right, they are 100% wrong." I even read one comment something like--go, Hamas, beat them we support you-- like some fanatic at a football game.  Where is the real debate on the issues?

The primary issue now is to stop the fighting and killing.  That involves two points.  Israel must withdraw ground forces from Gaza and stop air attacks.  Hamas must stop all rocket attacks against Israel.  This cannot be one or the other but must be both. And it must be a sustainable cease fire.  There was a 6 month cease fire that ended in December, which both sides violated. A sustainable one will require some kind of international presence on both sides of the border and enforceable sanctions for violations.

Can this be done?  Yes.  Will it be done? Maybe.  Probably sometime this month there will be  a withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas will stop firing rockets but observers on the ground probably will not happen.  And probably before the end of this year there will be another round of fighting

Sad but true.  I  have no answer for this.  There may not be an answer.