-Hezbollah did not start this war. The north-south violations have been ongoing for years. This recent event hardly stands out in that respect (save for Israel’s perverse response). Israel appears to have planned a major assault for some time. e.g., “Israel responded to an unprovoked attack by Hizbullah, right? Wrong”
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14416.htm

-Israel’s aggression is about far more than Hezbollah. This war means something more. But what? Certainly not what Friedman discusses. Making out that Israel is the happy go lucky victim is beyond insulting by this point. Reality check Mr. Friedman.

-According to

http://www.elliottwave.com/features/default.aspx?cat=mw&aid=2549&time=pm

Friedman’s assessment of the stock market spike thanks to Buffet is misleading. After a 2% rise after the announcement (that following a three year stock market rise in general), the stock price has since fallen 17%.

-Israel needs to make peace. Peace means withdrawal to the 1967 borders and removal of all settlements. The settlements are Israel’s act of war. Removing them will be Israel’s only true act of peace. Nothing else Israel does should take ones eye and mind away from this reality. Go home Israel. Back to the armistice lines of 1949.

I believe Israel will win if he wins the hearts of it’s neighboring countries. Most of mankind is agains this war. Do you really think that they all wrong and only america knows whats right? Most inteligent leaders all around the world aren’t manipulators or commandos with mighty weapons. I can read articles in four lanquages and I feel blessed by being able to acquire wider range of the truth. This war is wrong because, in my opinion, Israel created more enemies just like it did in the past. Manipulating of others for self interest never lasted long in the history. Self-righteousness makes people look more selfish. Israelis should not pride themself about Buffett but they should rebuild Lebanon. May be they could be friends and live in peace and may be harvest some flowers together.

I strongly disagree with Mr. Friedman’s notion that “Israeli youth dream of being inventors”, while “Hezbollah youth dream of being martyrs”.

First of all, he compares the entirety of all Israeli youth with what he considers to be a radical faction of the Arab world, Hezbollah. He neglects to mention the radical factions within the Israeli world (the Kahanists, for example) who’s dreams rival Hezbollah or Hamas in their zeal not to become martyrs but to likewise irradiate their Middle Eastern neighbors. Since you won’t see it in the mainstream press, for more info see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahanist
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/29722.pdf

There are human beings on each side of this abominable situation. Neither side is any less human than the other – each encompassing all the good as well as all the vile baggage that human kind can carry.

I’m sorry Mr. Friedman, but the sooner we understand that they dream our dreams – and we dream theirs – the sooner we will all have:
a) and end to indiscriminate violence;
b) a more profitable market for poor Mr. Buffett’s portfolio; and
c) a lasting peace for the rest of us on the planet.

Perhaps the everyday Israeli citizen is much like the everyday American citizen, and just like the every day citizen in Lebanon or Palestine. In general, we all dream or look forward to a prosperous, healthy, happy and safe future for our families and those we love.

It seems to me that it is our governments and organized religions who drag these every day citizens into bloody wars that nobody really wants. Like our dreams, our nightmares are all the same.

Articles like this written by Mr. Friedman only foster the push that one side is right – the other side is wrong. This invariably creates a drumbeat for continued war and violence.

There are, however, others who get much less press than Friedman.

They prefer peace to war and work extremely hard to live together with respect for their neighbors of different faiths and cultures.

JJ Keki, a gentle man who is the director of a coffee Cooperative of Jews, Muslims and Christians put it best when he said, “Today the world is in pain. We want to prove that a better way is to be proud of who you are, respect each other, and make something great together. (coffee, in this case)”

For more info go to:
http://www.mirembekawomera.com/

Another is a Dominican Monk in Israel, Bruno Hussar, who founded Neve Shalom~Wahat al-Salam with the intention of creating a place where the people of the area could live together despite national and religious differences, and who would conduct educational work for peace. He says “Our starting point is that the conflict between Arabs and Jews is a conflict between two peoples, between two national identities, and not between individuals.”

For more info go to:
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/__Israeli_and_Palestinian_Identities_in_Dialogue_1469.html

Oasis for Peace http://www.nswas.com/
School for Peace http://sfpeace.org/
Gush-Shalom http://zope.gush-shalom.org/
New Profile http://www.newprofile.org/

“When Jews and Arabs get together, work together, live together, they create their own miracle: Neve Shalom is such a miracle it deserves our warmest support, for it justifies our highest hopes.”Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate.

We need to look critically at articles like these if we are to ever change the incessant drumbeat for war into a constant rhythm for peace. I hope you’ll continue to send them to me!

Wage Peace, not war.