JerryHatake wrote:
^Well Israel has the right to protect itself and defend itself from foreign (Basic right of any sovereign nation). The same concept is with the US with its War on Terrorism. Israel is basically protecting its borders. Civilians will always be in harm's way during wars and conflicts.
Yes, but it is not so simple. For the past year, Israel has restricted food and fuel going into Gaza, while expanding settlements on occuppied territory. Do the Palestinians not have a right to resist such measures? Was that blockade not an act of aggression against Gaza??
And what of the notion of proportionality, or common sense? Rockets from Gaza have killed about 15 people in the last five years. Israel lost 13 people in the recent adventure (less than a month), with no prospect of increased security. So it is hard to see it as a good investment in Israel's security.
And the recent attack saw 3 Israeli civilians die, while they killed about 900 civilians in Gaza. So in terms of proportionality, it is like "an eye for an eyelash." According to game theory, such disproportionate responses escalate and perpetuate conflict.
I think that the attack was carefully timed to co-incide with US politics, and had less to do with security than with securing the expansion of Israel and locking down the status quo.
Meanwhile, Israel (which has been described as a bastion of democracy) has stripped its Arab citizens of the rights to have candidates in the next Israeli election.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054867.html