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Originally Posted by Skybird
There cannot be a decisive victory in that region. What they are in for is nothing else than eternal war without end. I have sympoathy for what the are doing, and why, but I see the limited potential of war. They eventually get back their captured soldiers. what they will not get is peace. And what they will get is even more Islamic people fighting against them. No walls hold eternally. They will live under constant siege until then.
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Just what Islamic peoples are those Sky? The Iranians? They're already backing Hezbollah and Hamas, as are the Syrians, and Hezbollah already owns southern Lebanon and the Christians are either unable or unwilling to stop them. Other than those, I don't see Jordan getting involved, Egypt is a slight maybe but everyone else is either too weak militarily or too far away, and that includes the Iranians, to do more than funnel arms, funds and the occasional small band of wild eyed fanatics willing to die for Allah to do much else.
Really, I see the Israelis as having little choice in the matter. Prisoner trade? That's not going to stop the rockets from being fired at their civilians. That's not going to stop their people from being kidnapped and held for more ransoms. So what are they to do? Return to the pre 67 borders? I don't think anyone really believes the Islamists would stop there and everything would suddenly be hunky-dory.
Besides, even if the Israelis were to give in to Hamas and Hezboolahs demands, I seriously doubt it would by anything more than the most temporary peace and even that's doubtful. All it would do is allow their enemy some time to rearm and prepare for the next battle, and we all know there will be one regardless of whatever action the Israelis take.
On the other hand, strength is something the Islamists undoubtedly understand and fighting back has been the only thing that has ever worked, so I do not take as gloomy a view about the situation as you do. Twice in my life there have been times when the world figured the Israelis were goners. Both times they brilliantly proved the experts wrong and not only survived but dominated the massive Arab forces thrown against them. I seriously doubt they will have any more Islamic people fighting against them than they have now, but in any case they have proved repeatedly they can handle much, much more.