The easy justifications of peoples and nations

Offer very little cause

For blind celebrations.

The Israelis did not attack just because of the incoming rocket athough there certainly was the provocation. Nor did they attack because the incoming rockets were far more lethal and went far further than previously, indicating a build up of bigger and more sophisticated weapon, although that was certainly a provocation. There is also the issue of all the maze of tunnels with which high grade weapons were being smuggled in by outside sources. So the question for Israel is what is to be done with a group of people funded by other countries looking to destabilize the area -- who absolutely do not believe in Israel's right to exist? How do you deal with a masss build-up of ever more sophisticated arsenal of weapons with a pipeline to more incoming weapons via those tunnels with rockets that can go deeper and deeper into your own country? Hamas has brought this down on its own people. Israel wants to live in peace and entertain productive relationships with Palestinians. Jordan and Egypt know from first hand experience what happens when they allow Palestinians into their countries. That is why, behind closed doors they would like to see Hamas out of the picture. There is an old saying "you cannot kill your parents and then cry that you are an orphan". The minute the cease fire ended Hamas showed the world what they wanted and they did not think Israel would respond.

... has also killed women and children with bombs when taking out targeted terrorist leaders, so it seems to be accepted that this is OK. This is part of the War on Terror mentality. We are at war, the survival of our nation is in the balance, so anything is justified.

Unfortunately the Hamas people in Gaza have declared that they want a shooting war with Israel so that they can kill Israeli soldiers. It is just pure vengeance and evil, with no strategic plan for a peaceful future, so the response is just to take them at their word and fight them.

I like many other Americans want to see a peaceful settlement in the Holy Lands in which all ethnicities can live in prosperity, peace, and harmony, but possibly this is because I am at least nominally post-Christian and so share some aspects of that worldview. Quite possibly if I were a Muslim I would be of the opinion that the highest honor is to die for my religion while killing some others.

Sounds positively biblical.

For all the unconditional approval of Israel's action by the American Politicos, let's not forget that not all Americans share this same view. One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.

Glenn, you are eloquent, and mostly correct.

It is amazing to see Israel killing civilians, then claim not to be targeting them. Are they blind, or just mad?

The setup in Gaza is that of a ghetto, a prison, and it is quite natural for people who are so oppressed to fight as they are slowly squeezed to death. This used to be called "noble" and "brave", to stand up with your head high and fight a superior enemy.

This is how genocides happen, and Israel's actions are visible for all to see. We are enabling them, and this is also visible for all to see. As we sow, so shall we reap.

What should be least acceptable to Americans is the lockstep with which our political leaders are reacting in-line with the AIPAC view. Not a single politician with a future has criticized Israel. Not one! This is what is truly chilling.

Listen to this very carefully. Thousands of rockets have been fired on our towns and cities for the past eight years. Three years ago Israel the Gaza Strip totally, kicking people out of their homes. The rockets increased. Here and there we would kill a terrorist before he was able to launch a rocket but that was like swatting flies. The rockets got bigger and longer range. Hamas took power in a bloody coup - throwing Fatah people off of roofs and killing them in the streets in front of their families. They are a terrorist organization whose goal is the total elimination of Israel. Gee. Were we supposed to just let those rockets continue to come down on us and not respond??? We did what any country would do - protect our citizens. The reason there are civilian casualties is because Hamas places their weaponry within civilian areas and fires from there as well. This is against all rules regarding warfare. If you are against Israel it means you support Hamas! You support a Fascist terrorist organization.

Israel wants to live in peace and entertain productive relationships with Palestinians.

Is that what explains the ongoing expansion of West Bank settlements -- those are peace offerings from the kind and peaceful Israelis?

for your lucid commentary and analysis, informed with intelligent moral outrage. You have become a public voice for people like me, who scan the media in vain for a rationally moral point of view, and I appreciate it. It sometimes seems there is so very little we can do in bearing witness to the madness on any side which would dehumanize any human being: but to always call them on it it, always to shine a light on it, always to apeak up--that is the least we can do. And you help me to do that by speaking up in this public space. Thanks for the time and effort and care, sir.

As much brighter people than I have noted, these struggles - let's be honest and call them "gang rumbles" - have been going on for centuries. The participants refuse to end the wars. They breed like crazy in order to have young children to throw into the meat grinder of suicide bombing. Their children are taught reading in order to know in what store they should stand for proper detonation of the charges strapped to their chests.

And the only real reason Americans, or other foreigners, care about this is that these people are sitting on the world's biggest energy supplies.

If we devise energy conservation and production techniques that in no way involve the Middle East, we will finally have a solution to the problem. All we have to do is interdict the area. Allow no travel or transportation in or out. Sit back with our fusion power sources or our wind power, and allow these people to kill each other until they are done killing. Whether it ends through them becoming mature and ending their wars, or until they kill each other completely, doesn't matter to me.

And for those who think this is cruel and Darwinian and all that, by maintaining this state of endless war, all the people involved in continuing the war have resigned from the human race. They are not human. They may never be human. They haven't learned that you must get along from others, from other cultures - and yes, I mean they haven't learned from Europeans, since we Americans haven't been stellar role models for the last eight years.