The attacks being undertaken by Israel at this time in Gaza, mean simply that the country has lost any claim to moral legitimacy – at time of writing, the death were approaching 350 – of whom 62 were UN confirmed civilians, not combatants. This in contrast to 4 Israeli dead over the past week – a ratio of one Israeli life equating to eighty eight Palestinian lives….not a just war.A nation doesn’t have to be at the centre of world diplomacy to know that these kind of tactics simply prolong the attacks they seek to stop: more people will now eagerly join Hamas in armed militancy. A basic knowledge of Northern Ireland, and countless other conflicts, not least their own, should have shown the hawkish Israeli Administration the futility of such disproportionate and bullying attacks. They now also have tanks gathered at the border (an arbitrary border at their initial discretion), prepared to launch the ground war. What ground war? There is no substantive enemy – and those that do exist warrant far better and more defined and delimited a response. It will take a generation for Israel to repair the damage to its reputation, if indeed it wishes to do so.
MERCIAR BUSINESS CONSULTING 