For those asking why Israel retaliates:?

Oy I read your answers so far.Retaliates is a more proper word.

It is DEFENSE. What, why should anyone sit there and take getting rockets thrown at them?

What really ticks me off, is when the press doesn't give the entire report of what happens. It always seems stilted against the Israelis!

Yes, why not defend the innocent? And why not show the photos of the Jewish victims of the missile attacks and bombers?

I honestly think the world goes blind at times.

Yeah it seems some people think we should just fling open the doors to all of our schools and let the "Palestinians" come in and kill at will.

People studing Talmud and Torah, minding their own business. You watch, this will not be reported on nearly as much as the Israeli response.

The good news is that one of the gunman is apparently dead. I guess he don't have to worry about that specific murderer anymore.

If Israel does not retaliate, the Palestinians will think they can try it again.

The world wants us to make peace with people who do this and at the same time kill each other? Right.

Wonder what the US response would be if rockets started being lobbed from Mexican or Canadian border towns into American towns and cities? I am thinking no one would expect America to just forgive and forget.

We obviously have not heaped enough sanctions on them. You would think the "Palestinians" would begin to understand it is their leadership causing this but that does not seem to be the case. Maybe one day they will realize it but until then the world cannot expect Israel to allow herself to be a sitting duck.

By the way: Lets define the term "Settlement lands". That is land that was not part of 1948 Israel but was won in wars started by Muslim neighbors. Now they whine about wanting the land back. Who else on earth would be expected to return land won in a war? Israel said they would stop if the violence stopped. I don't know if you noticed but Palestinian violence has not stopped.

Also prior to WW2 the land was in the hands of the British not the "Palestinians".

I don't ask why they retaliate. I ask why both sides are acting like spoilt children.

The Jews are making the claim of, "We own this land. We've suffered, we had it first. It's ours." To which I point out that the Irish suffered in the same way as the Jews, does that make the IRA using bombs OK? What about what we did to the Indians. We took their land and killed most of them off. Do we give it back now and say, "Sorry, our bad!"? Also, who says you were there first? Read your history books. You weren't. The Bedouins had it first so, if anyone, the arabs have more of a claim than you do. Also, you don't get to move in and take someone else's land then cry foul when they get peeved about it.

The arab's tactics, however, are not forgivable. You do not attack civilians. Ever. It's wrong. Most people don't agree with how Israel is going about it (governments don't count, I'm talking about the civilians) and killing them isn't going to win you any friends.

To everyone in the world I'd say stop trying to fix the middle east and tell people where they can and can't live. People have been doing that for thousands of years and it's not really been working. You know when it almost did? The Saracens under Salah Al-Din created a time of peace where EVERYONE was allowed in to pray anywhere they wanted as long as they didn't stop anyone else from doing it and they paid the tax.

Can we bring that back? I like that idea. It worked. Until the stupid pope got pissy that it wasn't him doing it right and sent his army to take them down. Failing, I might add.

President Reagan had the peace process all wrapped up--without asking the Israeli's their opinion, because he knew it would take the Arabs watching each other to protect Israel.

But Israel hated it, and Palestinians ruined it.

So, therefore, I think the Arab nations need to police themselves to protect Israel. They need a multinational force of their own, so troops can stop the attacks on Israel.

"Unknown to Israel, the Reagan administration was preparing a new diplomatic initiative for the Middle East, designed to renew the peace process, deal with the Palestinian issue, improve Israel-Egypt relations and provide impetus for Jordan to join the peace process. It was also aimed at pleasing those Arab states who had accepted P. L. 0. evacuees from Beirut and signaling them that the U.S. was not satisfied solely with their departure from Beirut, but was seeking an overall solution. Israel alone was not involved in the new American thinking, and learned of the plan when Ambassador Lewis showed it to Prime Minister Begin who was vacationing in Nahariya. Begin's reaction was: "It is the saddest day of my life" He was determined to reject the plan as not being even a basis for negotiations. Text of the Reagan address follows:"

a few weeks ago at the annapolis conference pres of israel PROMISED to cease all settlement activity on palestinian land - few weeks gone, and they have started NEW settlements.

what on earth do you want the palestinians to do? just throw their whole country away? would u?

just today on aljazeera english the CARE humanitarian aid spokesperson (non-muslim american) said the palestinians are now in the worst situation they've ever been in during the 40 years of occupation. the israels have totally brought a halt to practically their whole lives, they are now suffering malnutrition from lack of food supplies, they have little or no infrastructure left, and are living in absolute sqalid conditions.

and what is more disturbing is people such as yourself concentrate on one incident that hurt israel. of course we do want to see any innocent lives taken on either side, but it's about time the world woke up and got passionate about peace for these countries, and that will only come about when israel stops taking more and more land from the palestinians and when israel allows palestine the chance to flourish like they themselves are.

I wonder why Israel retaliates so little! If I were pulling the strings each rocket,bomber. etc would be the start if a return strike which would level a square kilometer. When in terms of life and property it becomes unprofitable to launch any attack they will slow or stop. Good hunting.

This news is very disturbing however, I think it is about time we all got on our knees to pray for a peaceful solution to end so much hatred.

The people of that land are becoming desensitized to death.

Shame on you for pointing the finger at ALL innocents. Every death is senseless when you really think about it.

I don't think it is ok for each group to shoot each other but prior to the end of ww2 the whole thing belonged to the palistines and the zionists were on the outside firing in.

>>"it's the fact that they indiscriminately target civilians in their attacks."<<

no, its the fact that the "Palestinians" do not follow the rules and hide behind and amongst civillians, thus not ALLOWING israel to hit millitary-only targets.

The media is tilted in the wrong direction !!! I ask myself why, it is as if they are paid off !!! Very few take Israel's side !!!