Does the world wish to harm Israel?

the 'world' is very weary of people who say they want peace (BOTH sides!) and keep letting the crazies amongst them shoot at each other with ever bigger weapons.

The short answer is YES.

Much of the world is against Israel, certainly the EU and the Muslims. Iran has had the stated objective of destroying Israel since '79.

Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"

Supposedly, George W Bush has linked the Hezbollah-Israel conflict to the Global War on Terror. Today was the first I heard of that claim on MSNBC. If that's true, this could have big implications on the global involvement of the US. Iran has also had bad relations with the US since 1979. Although, they do have weapons.

I don't know if the world purposely wants to hurt Israel but it certainly seems as if they sympathize more with the Muslim nations in the middle east conflict. The cynic in me say's it's an oil issue. Israel doesn't have any but their enemies do.

Bush is linking the Hezbollah-Israel conflict to the war on terror because he wants to stir up more fear and anger here at home. The motives of this administration are always suspect to me. They haven't proven themselves trustworthy or competent and any time they start banging on the old "war on terror" drum I get nervous cause I expect more of our civil liberties to go out the door and more potential for direct conflict for us.

The whole thing is the pits, a neverending battle. And if Canada invades Minnesota, we are in deep trouble. Now that would get people rolling - a war on our own turf...
(Please note, I am being sarcastic; I love Canada and Canadians. In fact I wish I was one.)

Thank you Nancy for picking up on the Canada invasion, tongue-in-cheek comment. I don't think any state will oppose us. It doesn't make sense that Iran can hope to defeat us militarily. Yet, once they get the atomic bomb, or even enough dirty fissle material to blow up in downtown Tel-Aviv they will probably do it. We can't really afford to just write it off as crazy talk anymore.

Marty- They don't have to beat you militarily to hurt you bad. In fact, in Viet Nam we never got beat militarily. We got beat with politics.
I think most countries are ready to offer up Israel if it means good relations with oil producing nations and their allies for a few reasons.
Minnesota has too many mosquitoes anyway.............(kidding)

This is hilarious.

Israel is a nation to be feared, not to be concerned about. They are a nuclear power with a first strike policy. Their guardians are the only superpower on the planet who support them at every turn in the UN. They were fortuitous in that the land that they currently occupy was given to them on a plate. If they have a right to occupy that land for historical reasons then presumably the American Indians shold have their land back, the Aborigines, and all dispossessed peoples, including the Palestinians. The Israeli's should learn diplomacy rather than war and then they might not be so fearful for their existence.

Brian, Israel is dependant upon the good will of the United States. Israel did back down, once Bush got pressured. The UN peacekeeping force is a joke. There won't be enough troops to disarm Hezbollah. Previously, we have been much more supportive of Israel. If Israel had a first strike policy in place, Tehran would not still be a vibrant city. I doubt Israel will be able to prevent a dirty bomb attack on one of it's major cities. Then Tehran might no longer be a vibrant city.

John, yes, we could have our military forces hurt very badly if a dirty radiation bomb were used to strike against our forces. Hopefully, there won't be crazy actions taken by Ahmedinejad. But, when dealing with an unknown quantity, you can't know.

Eh, I don't think Israel is really a threat to the rest of the world. More like this article says, ISRAEL is being threatened by the rest of the world. It pains me to see a nation so heavily involved in religion, so benevolently faithful, get caught up in this Middle East oil and arms war. I've said it once, and I'll say it again; the US needs to stop backing governments, and start HELPING them.

In my opinion, it would almost seem like Iran is going through with its nuclear bomb project just to prove a point: the point that the United States isn't the only nation who can create WMDs. Not that it sounds like a good idea, but it certainly DOES prove a point.

Israel is a threat to the world in the sense that it has a cavalier attitude to international relations. It heeds noone except the US government. The latest incident today proves the point. It has blatantly violated the ceasefire and yet the international reaction to the breach is deafening from what I can gather, including this muted comment from a UN envoy:

"(he) told the BBC that he would not pre-judge the raid, but described it as unhelpful to the peace process.

However Lebanon had devestation and massacres unleashed upon it when a couple of soldiers are kidnapped. How anyone can honestly say Israel is not a danger to world security baffles me.

I also fail to see why nuclear power should be the preserve of the US and its allies exclusively (which is what they would ideally like.) I would feel much more secure if everyone got rid of their nuclear weapons but if nuclear capability must exist then I dont understand why we should feel any safer that only the chosen few should have them. If any REAL threat (unlike that of Iraq)ever did raise its head then let the appropriate action take place.

the mighty canadian army is still in afganistan, fighting the taliban since the destruction of the twin towers or have you forgotten.

Brian, I think I can agree with you there. I'd have put it into other words, but I think I agree,

Israel is not the problem..... MUSLIMS ARE!!!

I wouldn't say that anyone wants to harm Israel as much as they would like Israel to be punished. I think Israel stirred up a strong dissent to it's actions in the world and I think it's important to distinguish this phenomenon from anti-semitism.

Ahh, but Muslims probably don't see it that way. They probably think the Infidel are the problem. Osama offered George W Bush the opportunity to renounce his faith and convert to Islam. GWB turned down the offer from Osama, so in accordance with Wahibi Islam war making policy, it may be okay to cause large loss of life in America.

Marty, these terrorists aren't in this because they get off on mass destruction. They're not attacking us because G-Dub isn't converting to Islam, and while we're talking about it, they don't attack us because they hate our freedom. It's counterproductive to think of our enemies something they are not.

Glen, are you suggesting that Israel is to blame for having some of its soldiers kidnapped?

Speaking of blaming the victims of kidnappings, I saw the disc 2 of 2 of season 1 of Footballer's Wive$. I guess it was a British comedy series. In the last episode, the child of one of the footballers was kidnapped. It didn't solve the mystery before the series ended, no doubt waiting to hype season two.

I think it was the pool guy who abducted the child. The pool guy was identified by an unusual ring. And, the pool guy came to pick up the ransom money.

Do you know why the terrorists are attacking us?

Begins with an "I," ends with an "L," and is the most disputed real estate in the History of Man.

Yes, Israel is partly to blame for having it's soldiers kindnapped. Prisoner exchange has been the only successful way to bring back lebanese and palestinian prisoners that Israel holds without charge.

Considering that Israel has engaged in prisoner exchanges in the past and has been respnsible for more illegal border incursions than Hezbollah ever has, there was no reason for Hezbollah or even the world to expect Israel to react the way it did.

...Seriously, Glen?

What would YOU do if some religious group bombed something that means more to you than your own life? THEY BOMBED NAZARETH. NAZARETH. N-A-Z-A-R-E-T-H.

Glen, Israel may be forced to continue the destruction of Hezbollah rockets, if a sufficient UN force cannot be found to act reliably as a buffer. Hezbollah is the party that has not lived up to it's side of the agreement. They did not disarm. The launched many katyusha rockets into Israel. The global oil markets like that the middle east is becoming more peaceful.

Marty did you hear about their incursion into Lebanon, breaking the ceasefire? Should they did be punished (dis)proportionately as Hezbollah , or rather Lebanon were/was?

I did hear about the commando operation into Eastern Lebanon. I'm unsure if this was the Bekka Valley region or not. Has Hezbollah yet given up all of it's arms as required by UN R 1555? No? Well, remember, that is part of the internationally agreed to agreement.

Interesting that the world community has seized on Israel's violation of the cease fire. In fact, supplying arms to Hezbollah is a violation of the cease fire, so technicaly Israel's action to stop it was an enforcement of the cease fire.

As for thos complaining that Israel over reacted to the kidnapping of two soldiers, let us not forget that Israel endured over 800 rocket attacks by Hezbollah BEFORE the kidnapping and responded to none of them. Name one other country in the world that would put up with that number of attacks before responding with force, name one other country in the world that would be criticized by the world community for doing so, and name one other country in the world that would drop leaflets 48 hours in advance warning civilians to get out of the way and yet is blamed for their deaths when terrorists use them as human shields.

What's that? The answer is none? Well then, we have the answer to the original question. The world community is, in fact, out to harm Israel.

I don't think the world is out to harm Israel. I think the world is out to get peace.

The world is not out to harm israel. It is just that Israel seems to have been crosiing lines lately that put it in the company of bad nations. It was way too heavy handed with lebanon and for what? It did not improve it's position or safety it actually did the exact opposite. Pat Buchanan a republiacn said on Sat 8/19:"There are two losers in the Lebanese israeli conflict Israel and the USA. George Bush is not welcomed in any Middle eastern nation except for Israel" This is what israel and the US accomplished.
I believe Brian is right about Israel beong a nuclear power and the patsy of the US in many ways...

In a word...No.

Charles, the world is not out to get peace. The world wants to accomplish goals without spending any of its own resources.

Kelly, Israel did not destroy enough civilization. The way that wars are solved is by making life and the loss of life so horrible that one side surrenders. We haven't had many wars recently once we have displayed that we have the capacity to end civilization.

Keith, If I violently pushed someone out of their home, not to mention their holy land where I was welcome, and subjugated them, should I expect them to respect what I keep holy?