A Sense Of Proportion

After the next Israeli elections, the primary reason for the latest war between Israelis and Palestinians will have disappeared. So the military action will probably diminish around then... until the next time some people in power (on either side) see a political advantage in starting an otherwise pointless military campaign.

However, my focus is mainly on the ethics of the war and the military strategy - largely from an Israeli standpoint. Most Israelis staunchly support the war (as is common in the early days of such type of action). However, when I ask any Israeli if s/he thinks that the war will bring about a reduction in Palestinian aggression against Israel, the response is invariably No.

When no one believes that this military strategy will be effective, how should we classify the killing of nearly 500 persons (and counting), the wounding of thousands of persons (and counting), and the large-scale destruction of both public and private property? Are we not talking about murder, assault, and theft out of hatred and, at best, for revenge?