Is Israel justified in its strong military action against Hezbollah and Hamas?
Yes, on three levels. First, Israel had withdrawn from both Gaza and Lebanon so there wasn’t even the usual excuse of “resisting occupation” to justify the launching of rockets into Israel and the unprovoked attacks on and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. If anything, the argument can be made that Israel’s mistake was not earlier enforcing a stated policy of zero tolerance of aggression once it pulled out of the two areas. Second, Hezbollah and Hamas are not just engaged in violence and terror. These organizations seek to severely weaken Israel and to create a situation where Israel’s very existence is once again threatened. Israel clearly needs to respond to these threats not only to stop this current aggression, but to make clear that it will not stand for greater threats down the road. Third, Israel’s ability to survive and prosper for decades in a region where enemies abound has been due to its strength and deterrence which held off cross-border aggression because of fear of a massi
