I want to point out that the news media are negligent in their responsibility to show the brutality that Israel is up against. Hamas and Hezballa purposefully go into dense civilian neighborhoods, set up weapons stashes, and fire rockets into Israeli civilian centers. They drag women and children into buildings and fire at Israeli troops who come in to get these rockets and mortars. Yet somehow, the media and the UN (who should have stopped the weapons from getting to Hamas and Hezballa) blames Israel for killing civilians!!!!! The UN or Egypt could have prevented this. Why are they not being held responsible? Why isn't Iran being taken to task for its role in this?

I want to point out that most international bodies are holding Israel to impossible standards. Israel is and with very few exceptions, has always carefully targeted military targets. If Israelis didnt have respect for life, there would be no Palestinians by now. In recent wars, Israel has even warned people in neighborhoods where an attack is pending that they still have some time to get out, so that Israel can clear out the weapons. What other country takes so much care, even at a tactical/surprise disadvantage, to spare as many civilians as possible, and then is criticized so hatefully for killing innocents (whose innocence is in question, since they don't take the opportunities to leave, acting as strategic human shields in an effort to isolate Israel - these "martyrs" of a sick jihad)?

Also remember that for over 60 years, Palestinians (not the ones who stayed and have a decent life in Israel) have targeted civilian Jewish populations, responding to the call of their Nazi collaborative leaders, who were trying to help Germany win, in hopes that they would support the Palestinian leaders in their efforts to wipe out the Jews here as well. More recently, Israel made sure that her citizens have shelters from rockets, does not fire from civilian areas, and has showed disproportionate patience and care, so as not to kill civilians.

I also constantly hear the call for returning to 1967 borders. I want to remind you, that in 2000 most Israelis were also making that call. Israel offered the PLO the best deal imaginable - almost complete pullout to 1967 borders (except for Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem). Palestinians could have taken this as another opportunity to start a nation, but instead, they started another war because Israel refused the "right of return" which would realistically be the end of Israel. Since then Israeli hearts have become hardened towards them - with a knowledge that they only want our death. Israelis know that the Arab extremists (who voted overwhelmingly for Hamas) will not stop until Israel is destroyed - yet we still we take such care not to hurt civilians whom Hamas and Hezballa are using as human shields, to fire behind.

So, next time you see a photo of a wounded child, or a story about a child who lost his father, blame it on Hamas and the United Nations, not on Israel, who is simply trying to protect its citizens.

The news media mistakenly point the finger at Israel, and say that killing civilians is wrong. But they don't show the pains Israel takes to avoid the death of innocent people, and nobody offers any realistic solutions that Israel hasn't already offered. What would you do if you were an Israeli decision maker? Would you allow your people to be slaughtered, so that the world doesn't accuse you of being cruel? The Palestinian people brought this upon themselves when they voted and support a group whose primary goal (even at the expense and lives of her citizens) is to kill Jews. When Israel pulled out of Gaza, Gazans had an opportunity to begin a nation, but instead they chose war, launching rockets into militarily insignificant civilian areas. They created the situation that they are in, and all it took to stop their suffering was and is to stop launching rockets into Israeli cities.