Thank U Hizbullah
U remebered some traitorous that human sense of honor is not digged in this region of the world

Pure and utter sadness,

Both sides have made oversights which will not be forgiven or forgotten under the current political landscape.  However, the single-channelled hatred of Israel (and Jews) has served as a convenient tool for neighbooring Arab Leaders in the past (and present), rather then genuine concern for the displaced Palistinians by lending them a helpful hand and sharing resources.  The corruption of local leaders only obfuscated the process of foreign relief.

The Israeli government must reconsile (in a very explicit and fair/generous manner) the losses of Palestinians in the area, in order to begin to move forward and gain acceptance in the region.  Although Jewish people suffered ugly and dishonest treatment through antisemitism (e.g. WW II and beyond), how can they justify their Jewish state without keeping only the highest standards of treatment for others?

Aside from this, the racially driven, Hezbollah attacks cannot be embraced or supported due to their alienating pretence which nullifies any humanitarian argument which it professes.  Firing rockets into solely civilian targets?

A sad situation at best.

People, we must enjoy the world around us in the short time we have here.  We must share our land and not impose our high-beliefs on others well-being

Sad, sad, sad. 
Israel so proud of destruction. 
Israelis in denial:
unable to admit they treat neighbors to the ghettos, terrible abuse, and destruction jewish individuals experienced in wwII. 

Israel created present opposition with identical brutality Rome used to suppress its neighbors.

Israel founded by terrorists - effective ones.
Israel began as an Ugly State - Lives as an Ugly State.

I am sad pity for all neighbors of this inhumane, wretched, brutal government.  sad, sad, sad.

an addendum to # 14577.  Not only was Isael unable to defeat Hezbollah in its 18 years of Lebanese occupation, when it left in 2000 it deserted the South Lebanese Army which was also fighting Hezbollah.  It had promised to continue support of SLA, a promise it didn’t keep.  (Rather like officers deserting their men on a battlefield and cutting off supplies to boot.) Their desertion left the SLA so weakened as to be unable to resist Hezbollah. That aside, the notion that you can bomb a belief out of existence is ludicrous.

“A plague on BOTH your houses.”

It’s quite sad to see all the bloodshed & realize that our leaders have sold out to the Israeli Lobby.  Hope that true Americans wake up in time & refuse to send their children to fight in the interest of Israel.  Even handed foreign policy is the only way to put a end to terrorism.

Culturally, materialism leads to a set of values which, according to Matthew Arnold, makes the heart subservient to the stomach, with all the problems that arise in its wake.

Spiritually, materialism leads to religious fundamentalism which corrupts the fundamentals of a religion by degrading them into weapons for defending vested interests.

Humanly, materialism effects an existential dis- equilibrium between matter and spirit, choking the human under the preponderance of the material. The inner being experiences this anomaly as depression, despair and life-weariness.

The sickness of materialism is not that there is an over-abundance of material goods.

The poverty of materialism is that in its keenness to fatten the body it leaves the spirit starved. It is reflected in the foolish assumption that the hypervitaminosis of the body would, somehow, spill over and become nourishment for the soul.

The mounting agony of the world, however, roundly condemns the willful blindness of both America and Israel.

I am a new visitor to this site, and I must say I’m disappointed by the ignorance and hostility toward tiny Israel that is disseminated on this thread.  Atheist myself, I have a rather low opion of self-professed ‘ethical humanists’ and the like - seeing as they usually exhibit a hostility and derisiveness toward others’ beliefs reminiscent of communism.  Hopefully, the opinions on this thread are not indicative of the intellectual caliber of most who post on this website.

Israel’s destruction of lebanon is obviously a vicious exercise in pure hate and destruction. And maybe Israel is a bit jealous: Lebanon was doing too well. The world loved peaceable, multicultural, multireligious, democratic, and one again thriving Lebanon, the way belligerent, arrogant, greedy, racist, theocratic, pompous, sanctimonious Israel will never be loved — unless it repudiates its odious ideology.

Yes, the ugly old queen had it in for Snow White. Unlike the fairy tale, things didn’t work out very well for Snow White: the ugly old queen demanded the corpse, and got it. Now she plucks out the heart and eats it, feeling whatever low form of happiness she can.

Israel is destroying much of Lebanon that has nothing to do with Hezbollah (like electrical power plants, a milk factory, a Greek Orthodox church, a Catholic hospital, city aqueducts, water treatment plants, blocks and blocks of apartment buildings, major government buildings, even some Christian neighborhoods, as well as virtually the entire highway and bridge system, etc.).

Israel’s devotees explain that Israel is punishing Lebanon for failing to wipe out Hezbollah - something that Israel, the 4th largest military in the world, was unable to do in 18 years of occupation - an occupation that GAVE RISE TO HEZBOLLAH IN THE FIRST PLACE.

And IF Israel wants the pro-US Lebanese government’s piddling little military to destroy Hezbollah, why is Israel BOMBING LEBANESE ARMY ENCAMPMENTS? How is the government supposed to do this with NO ECONOMY AND NO INFRASTRUCTURE?

As sad as it may be, with George Bush at the helm, prophecy is achieveable. Please pray to the God of your choice to rid us of our current insanity that has seemingly been the folly of a few Christian Capitalists (read Cheney oil machine).  Religious Zealots of any stripe are anathema to our precious human experience.  May the God of your choice condemn the perpetrators of any crimes against humanity, and mete afterlife justice to those who would condemn to death innocent human life in their pursuit of destroying those they claim are their enemies. -Kevo

Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing Kofi Annan can do about this insanity.  I can only see this as a consequence of the failing foreign policy of the United States.  The country and president have lost all concept of a realistic policy for any of the questions of our time. 

EXAMPLES:
Aids in Africa:
The rest of the world: Provide drugs and condoms and teach safe sex techniques and improve medical care.

US under George W. Bush: Teach about abstinance and provide some drugs but more like a bandaid solution.  No Real Policy.

American Dependance on Foreign Oil:
The rest of the world: Work on multiple sources of energy (Wind, Soler, Water, and Ethanol).  In Europe through forced increases in price slowly ween the population off of Oil. In Brazil, develop Ethanol.  In Holland, encourage the use of Bikes.

US under George W. Bush: NOTHING AT ALL!!!!

These are just two examples of the non-policies that George W. Bush has and is employing around the world.  Everyone wonders why it seems the world has gone mad.  Israel attacking Lebanon is just another example.  Ironic, the news from Baghdad is not being shown, with an increasing descent to anarchy and chaos.

Israel has no respect for the UN that created it, as it has no regard for the interests of the poor stupid American people who blindly adore it. All support of any kind should be withdrawn from Israel immediately and this foul little country should be treated as a leperous pariah to be quarantined and despised.

The UN is like the referee in a wrestling match. He can tell the combatants to stop their violence but has no power to enforce his instructions. Only King George can declare the match over.

If only the Secretary General will ask Israel’s leaders, together with the leaders of Hamas & Hezbollah to meet under U. N. auspices for the purpose of once and for all resolving their disagreements?  And if the parties attending said meeting only would agree to abide by the golden rule, then justice and peace will be sure to follow.  Not only in the Middle East, as if peace there wouldn’t be more than enough, but throughout ithe entire world. 

So what say you, leaders?  Your responses to this Internet inquiry is hereby solicited.  And if the official leadership won’t respond, let’s here it from the people.

There was peace before 1948, Jews and Arabs lived as neighbors (589,200 Muslims, 83,800 Jews, 71,500 Christians and 7,600 others --- from wikipedia). Just because the Jews had more friends in Britain in 1948, does that mean they deserve this land? This call for a Jewish state in Palestine drew violent opposition from local Arabs, in part because of Zionism’s stated goal of a Jewish state, which would require the subjugation or the removal of the existing non-Jewish population.

You use American money to accomplish your “biblical right”! Cram several Palestinians families into a small home after relocating them and when they retaliate, they are terrorists? Receive four billion a year for decades, like charity, and call the Palestinians cowards and terrorists for their tactics when they have nothing else?? Assassinate Arab leaders, like Shaikh Yassin and expect them to sit by idle?

Every passing day more and more people are sympathizing with the Arabs. Israel has become SICK. Children signing artillery shells, which are shot into Lebanon killing innocent people. What do you think the families of these casualties will do?? Many will fill the ranks of the very people you are trying to suppress. If you want peace, you will have to accept that there is a viable resistance to a Jewish state and negotiate.

If your long term goal is peace, then peace is the only way to achieve that goal.

You make me sick. Cut off their water??? Is that what your God teaches you? Anyone that thinks that is no better than the mullahs who want a purely Islamic state. This article made me finally think that someone in Israel has there head screwed on right, but after reading the talkback im not too sure anymore.

Why is this news? Can that guy do anything about this?