I’m not sure how this is to judge from an ethical point of view. Let’s say I can understand it in a certain way, but I think these deadly means are not right and not appropriate.

But there are two other questions:
Can this RE-action justify (!) further military actions against nation “B”???

I can understand it from the view of people that wouldn’t be aware what’s going on around them or wouldn’t understand the whole situation.
But I don’t think that it is right.

And 2nd: can you generally say that killing civilians is not appropriate in a situation that may be seen as some kind of war?

I do live in a country where some years ago many many thousands of civilians were killed on very purpose, also by the American army. Whole big cities in Germany have been bombed out in a very horrible way. And there were no terorists or army institutions “hidden”. As far as I know this strategy until today is seen as a good one, and many people are proud of having done this…

So it seems to be a generally accepted means of war killing civilian people – mothers and children – if you can’t beat the military!

Done and praised also by US-Americans.

I do not consider it right – whoever does this!

It is not right if terrorists of a nation do it to the others.
And it should taken into account if you valuate the actual “re-re-action” in Gaza that has the very same effect – as far as I know many civilians, mothers and children are killed by this.
At least for me there doesn’t seem to be a real justification!

An alternative would be: people try to urge their government to comport in another way that is not provoking such aggressive reactions. People that demonstrate and “fight” for (real!) peace.
As far as I know several people there do.

But aside from the above, I think you have missed the point of this post. My point is that by deliberately targeting civilian rather than military targets, Hamas is forcing Israel’s hand. Because it isn’t soldiers that are dying from the rocket attacks, but rather children and mothers, Israel must respond with extreme force. The Israeli government has no choice, but to invade. Or they will no longer have the support of their own population. It doesn’t matter if the Palestinians have legitimate reasons for fighting or not. When they target civilians, they provoke an extreme (and predictable) response from the Israeli government. A response that, if we are being honest, is the same as they would get from any other nation in the world. You can’t attack a nation’s civilian population and expect that that nation won’t respond back with extreme force.

Im sorry but if someone invaded and took my country I would fight and so would you if it happened to you. What you are saying is its not ok To fight back against an illegal invasion.
Its no different to saying that anyone who fired back at hitler was causing his agression. Perhaps we should not fight an illegal invasion and that will stop the bloodshed. So if the Russians come here and bulldoze my home and I launch a rocket to attack them then they have a right to bombard me till I just don’t resist. You are saying I should just let them steel my country. This is still happening on a daily basis in the westbank (legally palestinion territory). Palestinion homes being bulldozed with no legal authority. It is not Israeli territory and is not internationally recognised as being such. This is an illegal occupation now. Palestinions have a right to defend the westbank which is still their legal territory. They are been turned out of their own country. Give me strenght if someone did that to me I’d be firing rockets.

[Edited for language - Jamie]

My point is that when the average citizen, who is not military and who is simply a working class person, has his family attacked, he is going to demand that his government make it stop.

It isn’t going to matter to him if his governments policies are the reason for the anger that is fueling the rocket attacks and suicide bombs. He is going to demand that his government protect him from those attacks, or he is going to elect a new government. One that will protect him.

The Palestinian government does not have enough control over it’s own citizens to enforce any diplomatic agreement between them and Israel. They have too many powerful armed factions within their territory to be able to guarantee any agreements.

Diplomacy, at least at this stage, isn’t going to stop the attacks. So what is the Israeli government supposed to do about the rocket attacks or the bombs?

Would this be right?

Would it be Christian?

Would it be Democracy?

What I’m saying is that if you or I were in the situation of a normal working class Israeli, I expect that we would be demanding that our government make the rocket attacks stop at all costs. And I don’t think we would be willing to wait for yet another failed (regardless of who’s fault the failure is) diplomatic solution. If I was living in Israel, I would want and demand a guarantee that the rockets were going to stop.
The current Palestinian leadership cannot and will not give that kind of guarantee. So the only way that the Israeli government can give it’s citizens the security and protection that they demand, is to invade and occupy the Gaza strip. Is the invasion a long term solution to the problem? No it isn’t, and furthermore it is likely to make things worse in the future. But due to the corruption and chaos that is the current Palestinian government, invasion is the only way to stop the rocket attacks.

http://nctv-israel-palestine.blogspot.com/2009/01/israel-and-palestine-in-2-mins-chalk.html

That simple rule “An eye for an eye” is not Christian – it is Old Testament.

Moreover I think nowadays there should be more intelligent solutions.
Pure militarism doesn’t seem to me a very differentiated point of view.
Think about the history that has led to the actual situation.
Can killing hundreds of (in parts innocent) people really lead to peace there?
Or will it nourish fanatism – as military actions recently proved to do in proximate regions.

As far as I know many people are obliged to live in these regions. And they can’t escape.
What would you do, what would you think and feel if you were in their position?