62% to 31%

[texaspackerbacker]

That is the percentage of Republicans compared to Democrats approving of Israel's cleaning house of the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

I was just wondering if our forum Dem/libs are similarly unenlightened with regard to our good and valuable ally and its actions against a clearly evil enemy. The 31% figure is surprising even for America-hating leftists.

I expect Israel to take more and more unilateral action against their evil genocidal enemies over the next four years, as they undoubtedly have a lot less confidence in the Obama crowd to take their side against the Muslim enemy than the Bush Administration did.

[LL2]

I think Isreal took action before Obama takes office for a reason, because they know he will not be a strong supporter of Isreal. I think isreal is justified in attacking Hamas. The Hamas people are a perpetual thorn in Isreal's side always doing suicide bombs and crap. If you think about it Isreal is surrounded by enemies on all sides in the mideast. I would hate to live there.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Isreal is in a no-win situation.

I doubt they will achieve very much by this war.

I am not following the situation too closely because it is all so gloomy and hopeless. It bothers me that the Europeans and Arabs expect Isreal to accept terms that will lead to its destruction. Isreal had very foolish policies from 1985-2005, the expansion into Gaza and West Bank brought on much of this mess.

Obama will be pro-Israel, not much different from Bush.

[Joemailman]

I agree that Israel won't gain much, at least not long term. It sounds like they are not looking to remove Hamas from power, so Hamas will probably be back at some point, and the whole sorry spectacle will repeat itself.

Obama will be pro-Israel, but I think you be that and still be more balanced than Bush has been. Being pro-Israel does not mean agreeing with every decision made by the Israeli government. It does mean recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism.

[MJZiggy]

I'm all for Israel defending itself, unfortunately in this situation, I think they're making themselves out to look like the bully and it will become easier for terrorists to convince people that terrorism is the only way to fight back against the big bully. I don't see this bringing them any lasting peace. I wish they'd all figure out a way to put down the damn rockets and work it out. Ain't gonna happen, but I can wish for it.

[TravisWilliams23]

If Israel feels the new US leadership will not assist or help they may
be more inclined to attack without concern about world perception.

They're going to get condemned no matter what, so might as well do
what they have to do. If Hamas is going to fire rockets from civilian homes
then innocent civilians are going to be killed in a retaliatory response.

Fortunately for Israel they aren't imposing on their own soldiers the Rules of Engagement our military places on US soldiers.

http://www.nbc-links.com/roe.html

This site shows just how stupid our ROE are.

[digitaldean]

I think the thing the MSM glossed over (especially with the shelling of the UN schools in Gaza) is that Hamas fires their rockets from residential areas and schools.

Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel since the last ceasefire, which Hamas violated.

If Mexicans were firing hundreds of rockets from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico into Laredo, Texas, do you think we would sit idly by and show "restraint"? Highly unlikely.

I understand why Israel did this when they did. One, their people had enough of these attacks. Two, they were uneasy on the amt. of support they'd get from the new Obama admin.

I don't want to see innocent civilians killed. Heard on CBS radio tonight that Israel offered a ceasefire if Hamas would stop the rocket attacks. Hamas refused.

By the way, Hamas has still never disavowed Israel's right to exist. Their publicly stated goal is to eliminate Israel. Why do you think Iran is funding Hamas and Hezbollah with so many weapons?

[Partial]

The whole concept of Israel pisses me right the f off. They are the cause of so many problems, and it would have worked out if they had taken the land from Germany as part of ww2.

[LL2]

The whole concept of Israel pisses me right the f off. They are the cause of so many problems, and it would have worked out if they had taken the land from Germany as part of ww2.

How does the concept of Israel piss you off? Also, how the heck is Israel a concept? It's been a nation longer than most in the world has ever been a country. It has the right to peacefully exist just like Switzerland.

[Partial]

The whole concept of Israel pisses me right the f off. They are the cause of so many problems, and it would have worked out if they had taken the land from Germany as part of ww2.

How does the concept of Israel piss you off? Also, how the heck is Israel a concept? It's been a nation longer than most in the world has ever been a country. It has the right to peacefully exist just like Switzerland.

They took land that didn't belong to them and claimed it as there own. They are the cause of so many wars in the middle east. That's the kind of crap that pisses me off.

Yes, I realize thats how America was founded.

[sheepshead]

i'll get blasted for this one too, but this brings to mind liberal Jews. I know you dont need to be an Israel first voter. But the left has made it clear time and time again they are radical Arab sympathizers. Look at Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton lip locking Yasser Arafat. Cynthia McKinney last week and the list goes on. I dont get it.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Obama will be pro-Israel, but I think you be that and still be more balanced than Bush has been. Being pro-Israel does not mean agreeing with every decision made by the Israeli government. It does mean recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism.

Obama is not going to pressure Israel any more than did Bush. And in my opinion, it is difficult to see exactly what Israel could do to turn the tide. What should we pressure them to do? They've already made it pretty clear that they are ready to withdraw from the occupied territies.

Shitty Isreali policies made a shitty situation. Yet now that the Israelis are forced by demographics to cut a deal, the Palestineans are in a mess.

Obama will not be seen as even-handed by the Arab world, as was thought in the campaign. The Honeymoon is already over, the first dose of reality has punctured the myth of Hussein Obama. He is now the Great Traitor for keeping silent on Gaza. The Arab World's position is so deadly and unfair to Israel that there would be no pleasing them anyway.

[sheepshead]

I agree that Israel won't gain much, at least not long term. It sounds like they are not looking to remove Hamas from power, so Hamas will probably be back at some point, and the whole sorry spectacle will repeat itself.

Obama will be pro-Israel, but I think you be that and still be more balanced than Bush has been. Being pro-Israel does not mean agreeing with every decision made by the Israeli government. It does mean recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism.

Do you have an example of an Israeli position that Bush supported that didn't include defending itself?

[sheepshead]

The whole concept of Israel pisses me right the f off. They are the cause of so many problems, and it would have worked out if they had taken the land from Germany as part of ww2.

nice

[Zool]

The whole concept of Israel pisses me right the f off. They are the cause of so many problems, and it would have worked out if they had taken the land from Germany as part of ww2.

Maybe we should just kill them all. I guess there's been plenty of people trying to do that for a couple years tho huh.