specialK wrote:

] I do support the Israeli side of the argument--100%. If that
] makes me a radical, than that's a title I am proud to own.

Perhaps you have a vested interest?

] Actually, it is well-documented and entirely false that the
] IDF TARGETS civilians of any sort.

You're right. IDF wasn't targeting civilians. They were just demolishing their homes. Hopefully they clear them out first. I misread the articles.

NYT: The family members were worried that Israeli troops would eventually retaliate against them, possibly even destroying their two-story stucco house. Throughout the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli forces, as a deterrent strategy, have often destroyed the houses of families and local people who cooperate with the militants.

Haaretz: Members of the Za'anun family came out of their house holding sticks and rocks, and tried to drive the Al-Aqsa militants from their yard, most likely fearing that their house would be demolished if Qassam rockets were launched from it.

Albawaba: They said residents feared that an anti-Israeli attack would lead to harsh and collective Israeli reprisals.

BBC: A BBC correspondent says militants may have been planning a rocket attack, which the residents opposed for fear of Israeli retaliation.

Last month a missile fired from the area killed two people.

Israeli troops moved in soon afterwards to try to prevent further attacks. They have demolished homes and orchards and blockaded residents for more than 3 weeks.

] And it is easy to see that Israel has offered many
] peace agreements and their plan to pull out of the Gaza has
] been met with an actual INCREASED amount of violence.

I think that their plan to pull out of Gaza was a good decision. You actually have to create a sense for Palestinians that they can in fact live next door to Isreal safely without being legitimately concerned that their homes and land are going to be taken away. Obviously, the Palestinians have a similar responsibility to demonstrate that they are willing to live peacefully with Isrealis.

Of course, afraid of demonstrating weakness (as I recall), Isreal saw fit to launch a number of strikes at the same time they were pulling out. It may be fair to say that the Palestinians increased the amount of violence in the wake of the policy change (I simply don't know). So did Israel (and that was widely reported here).

] But good guys? Israelis are building walls to keep terrorists
] out, even though they could easily missile and bomb the whole
] of the palestinian cities, instead they are trying to do
] whatever they can to keep the violence out.

Isreal certainly could "missle and bomb the whole of the palestinian cities" but such an act would likely not go un-noticed by the rest of the international community.

The wall itself is quite controversial. It certainly reminds one of the wall in Berlin. Are people allowed to cross it? How difficult is that? How frequently placed are the crossing points?

] The Palestinians have BOMED these zones, more so recently,
] causing many to be shut down.

Try not to think about them monolithically. There are certainly those within Isreali society who beleive that God granted them the land and that they ought to "missle and bomb" the place out and then move in. Do they represent Isreal in general?

RE: Palestinian teen killed trying to stop Kassam launch