MrSmashy

You're right. We hear about Palestinian extremists who have gained greater sympathy and support from the community as the situation escalates and other avenues of protest dissapear...which is the goal of the extremists who have been able to manipulate the situation to where the majority of Palestinians might let their sympathies drift toward extremist views due to lack of percieved options. Its like that recent poll said, most support suicide bombings but would also like both sides to move to peace if possible.

However, we don't tend to hear about the Israelis doing the same because they have a recognized state aparatus doing this. We don't hear about Israel's support of human right violating militias in Lebannon etc...because it makes them look bad. While I agree that Israel is a little more careful about trying to keep the civillian casualties down since they have a greater understanding of how to look good internationally than some dumbfuck Islamic psychos who have been able to use this last intifada to shore up support do, that doesn't mean that Israel doesn't torture etc...etc...often without good proof. Nor does it explain away collective punishment acts that are against the geneva convention (such as destroying the homes of suicide bombers etc...), economic discrimination and abuse, the movement of new settlers into land that was the west bank etc...etc...

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We then hear a proud proclamation of responsibility by a Palestinian group, and shortly thereafter we hear about Isreal arresting or killing members of that same group.

Well, who could be against that. Except for the fact that Israel has a bad habit of taking out innocents when they do and not caring....I mean after all they aren't Israelis.

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Then we hear about how neither side is doing enough for peace, that both are at fault, and the Israelis are just as guilty as Palestinians. In case anyone has drifted off, let me reiterate: Palestinian kills kids Palestinian group gleefully boasts about killing kids Israel defends Observers condemn.

Nothing personal, but whenever someone brings up killing kids or something else along those lines, it always seems to me to be a signal to try and get people listening to shut off their brain and accept all in this kind of 'Won't somebody think about the children' kind of automaton way.

What you've got there is a one sided and totally incomplete representation of what you think the debate should be, carefully crafted to lead people to the inevitable conclusion that you are right. Put that way, who could disagree with what you come up with, but since that representation is fundamentally wrong your conclusions are that much weaker.

Want some example of how they are wrong....well, there are too man. Here's a sample.

Palestinians do not kill kids. Radical religious groups that have some active support and a unfortunately high amount of tacit support or sympathy within the larger community (mostly during periods where peace seems impossible) kill a number of people with sucide bombings. These are civillians and far too often include children.

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Moral relativism on such a scale is truly disturbing, people. Those who voted "Israel" in the above poll desparately need to acknowledge two basic moral truths: wanton, indiscriminate murder of civilians is wrong, self defense is right. Got that?

Got what? Both sides are defending themselves in different manners...although I agree that since suicide bombings began with this recent intifada that Israel's tactics are preferred. Why don't we arm the Palestinians as well as the Israelis and see if they can afford the kind of more precise strikes and attacks against military targets that the Israelis can?