Discuss the second installment of the Dust-Up between James Phillips and George E. Bisharat.

Death To Hamas, for ongoing onslaught of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Hamas, have shown the world, who they are. Hamas, will "triumph" while drowns, people from both sides in pool of Blood..

Emanuel @ 2:51 PM PST, Jan 9, 2009

Mister Bisharat, what would you do if you believe you have been a victim of a crime of your neighbor? Shoot him up? Do not think so, you go to police, court, public opinion. And you do win if you are right. I think Hamas did choose blood over diplomacy by throwing rockets into Israel for a long time instead of achieving its goals through talks. Hamas is not defender of Palestinian people, but their traitor. I deeply believe that only solution is- coexistence of Israel and Palestine. Narvalon

Narvalon @ 1:52 PM PST, Jan 9, 2009

What Israel is actually trying to accomplish in Gaza is to complete Phase Two of a three-part plan to keep it's most hostile enemies at bay. Phase One was getting the U.N. positioned on it's northern border in 2006 to keep Hezbollah rockets inside of Lebanon, & Phase Two may achieve the same objective with the U.N. on it's southern border thus hemming-in or destroying all Hamas rockets inside Gaza. At this rate, Israel's Phase Three against Iran should be ready to roll by the arrival of 2010.... MRUS&A

MRUS&A @ 1:02 PM PST, Jan 9, 2009

I look at the question very simply - if Mexico were to rain missiles on Los Angesles or San Diego, what would the U.S. do? What would you expect our government to do? I think you know the answer and the only question is why did Israel wait so long and absorb so many casualties (Professor Bisharat is simply disingenuous with his "facts") before doing what they had to do - defend their citizens. I believe in Israel's position, cry for the Palestinian losses, but place the blame squarely where it belongs - on Hamas.

MeMyselfI @ 11:56 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

hey have made their bed by electing and following barbaric people with a barbaric mission. Most Palestinians themselves despise Hamas, and the hardline conditions they have created in the Gaza Strip. Let's see this is a culture where women can't show their faces, are treated as 2nd class citizens, walk into crowded bus stations, malls, coffee shops, hotels, etc... strapped with explosives. Put military targets in civilian areas. yeah, these are good leaders (sarcasm). Give me a break, and get off of your high horse. Israel is 100% in the right.

RLS @ 10:42 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

To disgusted. War Crimes? Crimes against humanity? Give me a break. Hamas is a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION period. How would you like it if Mexico started lobbing missiles into San Diego, what do you think the consequences would be to our southern neighbors. Israel is defending its territory by any means necessary as well as they should. The Palestinians walked away from a free state, retaining 95% of their land, billions of dollars back in 2000.

RLS @ 10:42 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

Who here has trouble distinguishing the morality of guerillas targeting Israel's civilian population, despite the existence of a discrete and segregated military, and Israel's targeting of militarized guerillas who embed themselves among Palestinian civilians as a deterrant, shield, and propaganda tool? Anyone have difficulty with that? Israelis would rather go off to war. Hamas would rather invite it into its homes and childrens' bedrooms.

The Profound Difference @ 10:35 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

The answer to the posed question is that the Israelis themselves do not know, something we recently discovered when Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Sallai Meridor said, "We have no grand political scheme": http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/node/14942 War, as Clausewitz observed, is politics continued by other means, and if the Israelis have no political goals in their invasion, they cannot by definition succeed.

Rob McMillin @ 10:09 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

Just go to Youtube and look up "Children of Hamas" and you will see for yourself why Hamas needs to be entirely destroyed. They brainwash there kids and people to hate someone who is no threat to them.

Wake up people @ 9:44 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

Hamas, funded by the Iranians, calls for the annihilation of the state of Israel and uses their own people as human shields while firing rockets into Israel. Difficult to negoiate with that. Ahmadinejad is using the distraction of Gaza to draw attention away from it's nuclear program and to further curtail dissent, jailing those who speak out against the regime.

Nigel @ 9:17 AM PST, Jan 9, 2009

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