First off all, thank you, David, for pointing out that this topic has a lot to do with Europe, and with European Federalism in the larger sense as well (ESPD, and consequently with the constitution itself, concerning a common foreign policy), plus there are large communities of Jews as well as Muslims living among the Christian Majority in Europe, to whom this issue is of great importance. You are correct that is article was in part a response to your article, but in the sense that in Europe, as well as the USA, policy makers tend to be bias in favor of Israel’s interests. I do not claim that lobbies, and pushing an interest group of one agenda, is a bad thing, it only demonstrates, how the opposing side is not doing enough itself. In the case of the Middle East, however, one should be cautious for various reasons.
I agree with Professors Walt and Mearsheimer in their response in the recent issue of “Foreign Policy” (I couldn’t find a link online, if anyone does, please post it here!), when they write “No State with hundreds of nuclear weapons and one of the world’s most powerful armies is going to be conquered” While there are countries who openly subscribe to erase Israel from the map, it is not very likely (if at all) to happen. I still cannot see how Israel’s national security is / was at stake when two of their soldiers were captured, and I still think that Mr. Olmert was in way maybe just looking for a reason to get back at Hamas.
It appears as if David is in favor of ethnic profiling, when he writes that “he suicide attackers and the Islamic militants in the region are from the significant part adolescent persons” I would hope that once the identity of the person is verified, and it has been established that he or she is no threat, he would get released, and get the “benefit of doubt”. I believe that by keeping those groups looked up, more harm then good is done.
About the “ruthless warfare”, I do not wish to imply, that Hezbollah (or Hamas), is an innocent organization, but if one looks at the numbers ( I will come to the manipulated media in the next paragraph), it clearly demonstrates the higher casualties on the Lebanese side.
As for in how far one can trust the media, well that argument can also be made, the 1990’s film “Wag the dog”, or the news coverage of the smart bombs during the second war in the gulf comes to mind, I have to admit, that I did not follow the “Green Helmet” incident, but I salute the authors for putting so much of their time and energy in the research.
Thank you Emmanuel, for your outlook, with which I agree, and as much as I hope for a reasonably soon solution to the problem, I do not know how soon it will be. With the constant support of the “West” in favor of Israel, it might be hard to convince all parties of a that it is indeed a “fair” deal.
First off all, thank you, David, for pointing out that this topic has a lot to do with Europe, and with European Federalism in the larger sense as well (ESPD, and consequently with the constitution itself, concerning a common foreign policy), plus there are large communities of Jews as well as Muslims living among the Christian Majority in Europe, to whom this issue is of great importance. You are correct that is article was in part a response to your article, but in the sense that in Europe, as well as the USA, policy makers tend to be bias in favor of Israel’s interests. I do not claim that lobbies, and pushing an interest group of one agenda, is a bad thing, it only demonstrates, how the opposing side is not doing enough itself. In the case of the Middle East, however, one should be cautious for various reasons. I agree with Professors Walt and Mearsheimer in their response in the recent issue of “Foreign Policy” (I couldn’t find a link online, if anyone does, please post it here!), when they write “No State with hundreds of nuclear weapons and one of the world’s most powerful armies is going to be conquered” While there are countries who openly subscribe to erase Israel from the map, it is not very likely (if at all) to happen. I still cannot see how Israel’s national security is / was at stake when two of their soldiers were captured, and I still think that Mr. Olmert was in way maybe just looking for a reason to get back at Hamas.
It appears as if David is in favor of ethnic profiling, when he writes that “he suicide attackers and the Islamic militants in the region are from the significant part adolescent persons” I would hope that once the identity of the person is verified, and it has been established that he or she is no threat, he would get released, and get the “benefit of doubt”. I believe that by keeping those groups looked up, more harm then good is done.
About the “ruthless warfare”, I do not wish to imply, that Hezbollah (or Hamas), is an innocent organization, but if one looks at the numbers ( I will come to the manipulated media in the next paragraph), it clearly demonstrates the higher casualties on the Lebanese side.
As for in how far one can trust the media, well that argument can also be made, the 1990’s film “Wag the dog”, or the news coverage of the smart bombs during the second war in the gulf comes to mind, I have to admit, that I did not follow the “Green Helmet” incident, but I salute the authors for putting so much of their time and energy in the research.
Thank you Emmanuel, for your outlook, with which I agree, and as much as I hope for a reasonably soon solution to the problem, I do not know how soon it will be. With the constant support of the “West” in favor of Israel, it might be hard to convince all parties of a that it is indeed a “fair” deal.