What we need to do is get America to get Israel to stop doing this shit, and it's over.

[sylvar]

According to a radio news story I just heard, the World Health Organization is estimating that there will be 900,000 Lebanese people displaced by the end of the day due to Israel's dirty little war.

Israel is considering an invasion by massive ground forces, and refuses to stop until Hezbollah is completely disarmed.

I grew up learning about the history of the people of Israel (Am Yisrael) and the country of Israel (Eretz Yisrael), and I was led to believe that they were one and the same. But groups like Neturei Karta (Orthodox Jews United Against Zionism) seem to offer a different view -- that there should be no country of Israel until the Messiah shall establish it.

Perhaps Jews do deserve a country after the Holocaust. But I think Germany would have been a more appropriate choice than Palestine. And I think that Israel has lost any claim on the world's sympathy.

I don't have any solutions. I don't know what I want. But I think that GWB's advice to others would be a pretty good idea for the Israeli government and military: Stop doing that shit. And maybe we shouldn't have sold them all those weapons.

Comments

[cadrys.livejournal.com]

Infrastructure in the area that would support Hez, including running away (esp to Syria or Iran), interdicting supplies, etc. Standard playbook in modern warfare. (See Gulf War I & II) It's also necessary to prevent the majority of Hez. troops from simply hiding their weapons and disappearing into the civilians they routinely hide behind.

"their countries" That would be Lebanon, and sure, they have the option of declaring war and striking legitmate targets on Israel's allies. Amazingly stupid idea, but they'd have a "legitimate" ground to increase the scope of the fighting, destruction and dying.

Note that pretty much every Arab country is publically stating "this is Hezbollah's fault" [a serious flying pig moment!] and that, well, they hope Israel doesn't escalate things _too_ far.

The problem you're having here is looking at it as a factor of 'organized crime.' Hez/Hamas are proxy actors for Syria/Iran, and under the auspices of a state, have committed numerous _causus belli_. Israel is actually making a serious effort to not destroy _Lebanon_ itself, but that armed militia operating within its borders that Lebanon itself cannot control, and refuses to negotiate in good faith.

To take your 'precedent' in the correct direction, presuming the Militant Montana Men crossed the border and committed atrocites against Canada, AND the US was unable to stop them, THEN Canada would have a perfect right to respond. Interstate highways that were being used to supply the MMM, food and weapons under their control, etc, would be 'fair game' targets.

None of that, btw, obviates the fact that you're proposing a strawman argument.