Further to Tim's post, and ever one to answer the rhetorical question, I would say that when faced with
(i) rocket attacks launched
(ii) randomly at civilian areas in your country
(iii) from behind human shields (which is what the Palestinians effectively are),
then :
(i) a military operation
(ii) aimed at rooting out the militants
(iii) and their supply lines - and, specifically,
(iv) trying not to hit civilians whilst
(v) dropping leaflets and
(vi) telephoning people with the message that such operations are coming, so as to seek to further minimise civilian casualties,
is exactly what should be done, and is thoroughly proportionate. That doesn't mean that we should be blind to suffering - there is terrible suffering in Palestine now - and should urge our ally Israel to do as much as it can to avoid that.
In my view, albeit with tragic casualties inevitably resulting, that's exactly what Israel's doing
Dominic Lawson emphatically agrees in a brilliant piece over at The Times. Please go and read the whole thing.
