1) Newtitan, can we please see your law diploma certifying you as an expert in international law? Until then, keep your opinions on the legality of the actions in your head, where they belong.
2) Ali1, Jews were "dropped off" in 1948 for the first time? If you've been to Israel, you know full well that that's a load of crap. If you actually know anything about Islam, then you also know full well that that's a load of crap. There is documented historical (secular) information and archaelological evidence of Jewish existence in Israel dating back hundreds upon hundreds of years. Dating back longer than Christian or Islamic claims to the land. How do I know this? Simple fact. Islam and Christianity spawned from Judaism. The three religions have a common base and split away around the time of Muhammed and Jesus (give or take a few decades).
3) Everyone, your tax dollars go everywhere, not just to Israel.
4) This is NOT over one single soldier having been captured. Sure it may have started as such, but since then (before each major Isareli military action) there have been other kidnappings, etc. Case in point, Wednesday's Hezbollah ambush, killing eight, injuring two and capturing two israeli soldiers. This was a cross-border attack, led by a paramilitary terrorist organization supported by the Lebanese government. In addition, a 19 year old Jewish settler was kidnapped and killed by the Hamas militants promtping the initial Israeli incursions and offensives.
The Israeli military makes it a part of their policy to avoid harm to noncombatants and to make every attempt to preserve inoccent lives. Unfortunately, the militant terrorists make no such considerations for human life. They bomb cafes, discos, markets, buses and other public places. Don't comdemn Israel for destroying infrastructure (which they built, as an aside), such as bridges and airport runways; these are targets of military and strategic importance with careful consideration played to the preservation of innocent life.
Israel has said, time and time again, that peace will only come to the country when attacks on its population end. If you ask me, the only way for Israel to assert her place in the region (and it IS her place, but that is neither here nor there in this debate), is to flex her military muscle and preserve her borders.
Look what happens when you run a country in a democratic, relatively secular manner; you end up with a strong economy, military power, and the ear of the United States. Look what happens when you run a theocracy or a government based solely on the destruction of Israel - you get blown up by, you guessed it, Israel. This is also what happens when you flick peas (in this case, home made rockets) at the big kid on the block (in this case Israel) every ****ed day. One day, they'll wake up and stomp you back into the ground from which you came.
