It's comforting to hear George II urge the Israeli government to"limit" civilian casualties and damage to Lebanon's infrastucture. That rule has worked so well for us in Iraq. I wonder what the official upward limit on collateral damage is, beyond which Israel goes from self-defender to aggressor. Evidently a blockade is not over the line; nor is the bombing of civilian areas resulting in the deaths of innocents, including children. Not to worry: Bush and Rice know where the line is.

U.S. efforts to reshape the Middle East are proceeding nicely, just as many of us expected. The key to misunderstanding the region is to ignore the context, namely, the long-standing Israeli violation of the rights of Palestinians with the full backing of the U.S government. This doesn't justify indiscriminate violence, but it does shed light on much that happens there. When we abhor the continuing abominable treatment of Palestinians the way we abhor the shelling of Israelis in northern Israel, we will have made some significant progress.

Cross-posted at Free Association.

E. Simon - 7/18/2006

So I suppose the continuing imposition of suicide murders, the much more horrific deprivation of rights by one's own leaders, incitement of the Jewish other, violence as a political option of first resort, rejection of more significant political realities and reasonable solutions to them, are all much less important than is the "original sin" of a powerful nation's existence, and not a less powerful nation's lack of will to proclaim its existence in a conventionally acceptable manner.

I think I can see where this is going.

Sheldon Richman - 7/18/2006

It is the context, but not the only factor. Israel's treatment of its neighbors is also a factor, but that is related to the initial and continuing imposition on the Palestinians.

E. Simon - 7/17/2006

You honestly think the over-riding, misunderstood context of this conflict is Israel's treatment of the Palestinians?

Ha!

Yasir Arafat is laughing in his grave at you.

And in a few years, if not months or even weeks, so will be Sheikh Nasrallah.