What do you think the end-result of all the fighting will be?

[IGS]

I'm only 20, so I haven't been engaged with Israeli history too long so I don't know too many precedents too well (excluding big ones). But judging from what's going on now, can anyone estimate what the end of result will be in that entire region? I mean, Israel just rejected a ceasefire and is thankfully showing it has the balls to continue efforts. So, will it just result in randomly one day a ceasefire due to different countries pressing the Arab countries and Israel or a full-out war of unprecedented volume?

[Reffo]

Hi IGS

What will be the end of this? It depends. If it'll go the same way as past history, then Arab oil influence (and money), self interest and those with the double standards will have their way. You can already see the signs: The sob stories about collective punishment, accusations of Israeli overreaction and the use of disproportionate force are loud and shrill. If the situation would not be tragic, it would almost be laughable to look at the likes of Putin levelling such accusations at Israel with a straight face. I only have one question to ask him: What about Russian actions in Chechnia? but I guess he would just shrug his shoulder and he would say; That's different

My hope however is that this time maybe different. Sure, the outcome would cause suffering to many innocents on both sides. Nevertheless, in the long term, if Israel would be allowed to get on with the job of breaking the will of the terrorists, it could ensure that there would be no more suffering in the future, for either side, because it would break the following cycle:

1. Ongoing provocations, murder and atrocities by Arab terrorists
2. Israel's attempts to curb these portrayed as the cause for terrorism
3. Eventually, there is a major war (like now)
4. The Arab propaganda machine and their western allies gear up and pressure Israel to stop without finishing the job.
5. There is a period of uneasy quiet.
6. The terrorist start up the cycle again from 1 above.

Will the world learn out of their past mistakes this time? I don't know.

[frizzer1]

I'm only 20, so I haven't been engaged with Israeli history too long so I don't know too many precedents too well (excluding big ones). But judging from what's going on now, can anyone estimate what the end of result will be in that entire region? I mean, Israel just rejected a ceasefire and is thankfully showing it has the balls to continue efforts. So, will it just result in randomly one day a ceasefire due to different countries pressing the Arab countries and Israel or a full-out war of unprecedented volume?

Answer,.....i have no clue.
I hope israel's miliitary knows what it's doing....because if this is all for nothing and at the end of the day Hizbullah stills controls lebanon's border with israel then all the destruction and suffering of the lebanese will be for nothing.
If on the other hand Hizbullah is routed it will be worth it.With Hizbullah gone there will be peace between israel and Lebanon.
But still I really feel sorry for those lebanese who have nothing to do with hizbullah.I know others on this forum claim they bear responsiblty but I don't think they can control hizbullah..at least not without a civil war.

[MGB8]

The hope is that Hezbollah will be sufficiently weakened that Lebanon will be able to deal with them themselves, while at the same time, in order to get that cease fire (which will hopefully happen soon), Lebanon will committ to securing the Southern Border, and will not have too much resistance.

More importantly, Hezbollah will have had tactics revealed and also be exposed for weak, which will significantly weaken both Syria, and more importantly, Iran.

Hopefully, but less likely, is that Israel manages to get the soldiers back alive.

[Bheeshma]

Well I hope it will end with hezbollah, hamas, syria and iran taken out or left impotent.

[Justcurious]

One result will be that tourism to Israel and Lebanon will cease. Hotels, travel agents, etc., will undoubtedly take this into account soon.

[2 cents]

Scores of civilian casualties on both sides, that's the end-result.

Screw Hezbollah and the IDF, the civilian deaths are the real tragedy.

[Leon]

There is no room for moral equivalence, <edited by moderator>. Otherwise Hezbollah would have warned civilians like my parents to get out before they fired their rockets.

A cease fire wont be good news as time is not on Israel's side. A cease fire (or hudna) will only give Hezbollah time to re-group, re-arm and re-strengthen. This will only prolong the length & severity of the conflict. Israel must strike at Syria & Iran - particularly at Iran's nuclear facility and send ground forces into both Lebanon and Syria.

Getting a ceasefire and waiting around like sitting ducks for Iran, Syria and its proxy army of Hezbollah to attack again, is not the solution for Israel.

[2 cents]

There is no room for moral equivalence, <edited by moderator>.

<edited by moderator>

[sharonbn]

2 cents, Leon, please tone down your words and observe the rules of the Forum.

[Mediocrates]

One result will be that tourism to Israel and Lebanon will cease. Hotels, travel agents, etc., will undoubtedly take this into account soon.

Israeli tourism suffered for years under the intifada. That was part of the goal of the intifada.

[Lubnani]

Leon you are quite the political analyst, so you want Israel to send ground troops to Iran and Lebanon, two countries that train their soldiers in extreme guerrilla warfare, now you would make quite the General. Did you think about the loss of life, have you ever served in the Army before, i mean im guessing you are a Jew, maybe an Israeli so therefor you should have trained in the army, there is nothing the Israelis army fears more than man to man combat, against Guerilla fighters. So your solution is simply flawed and you might wanna think before you make statements like that.

[Mediocrates]

So they'll send their own cruise missiles down your throat.

[Lubnani]

There is no room for moral equivalence, <edited by moderator>. Otherwise Hezbollah would have warned civilians like my parents to get out before they fired their rockets.

Now how exactly do you want Hizballah to warn civilians in Israel they are going to launch rockets, as you know, we dont have planes, so that might be hard and you also know that,they have no idea what their rockets will hit. The truth about this, the population of northern Israel will have to live in the Bunkers for the time being, the only other case is a ceasefire. And Israel has bombed plenty of places, without warning the civilians, so dont give me this, IDF are the holy fighters.

[Leon]

2 cents, Leon, please tone down your words and observe the rules of the Forum.

Like I said, I really object to Sharonbn's censoring tactics. After all I just called the guy a "tool". Yes certain things need to be censored - such as racist remarks & swearing...but this?




Newsguy, please intervene.