squirtyflower said:
thought exactly the same, but don't think the OP wants that to be highlighted
Well now, in my opinion, the difference is that one is a terrorist organisation run by fanatics while the other is a nation that should exercise diplomacy and and restraint when trying to protect it people. I find it unfortunate that the Israeli state and its people have not realised that you cannot defeat terorists with widescale retalitary attacks which usually result in disproportionate Palenstianian casualties.
Israel needs to builds relationships with moderate Palestinians, they need to somehow realise that in order to defeat Hamas they must provide the Palesntinian people with an alternative to the terrorists. At the moment Israel are empowering Hamas and its support base. Israel must give more to the Palestinian people in order to be seen as honest brokers in the mid-east. With their current admin and policies there is no hope of reconciliation with the Palestinians.
To act as a legitimate state, Israel should practice restraint and engage diplomacy with the Palestinians they must show that they are truly interested in a FAIR and viable solution to the Palestinian proble. The need to STOP unilateral attacks on a civilian population most of whom do not have a pot to piss in. For a people that has suffered so much in its history, it amazes me that their society can be so devoid of compassion in the pursuit of national security.