Now do you get it?

It is Christmas 2009. Mexican drug cartels have begun launching rockets into the heart of San Diego as reprisals for drug interdiction programs. They choose the holiday as it is slow news worldwide and people are unlikely to catch their part as the aggressor but sure to hear about any reprisals on the part of the US. It is a calculated and bold move on the part of the narcotraficantes.

The US asks the Mexican government to control these criminals but the Mexican Army cannot control the cartels who operate outside the law.

Over the course of a few days several dozen US citizens are killed and injured.
The US finally says that enough is enough and using satellite imaging and on the ground intelligence makes precision air raids knocking out cartel targets, unfortunately a few dozen civilians are killed in the attacks which deal a devastating blow to the cartels.

The Mexican government stands idly by while the drug cartel tells the UN the US is unfair. The world outcry is reserved for the US saying the reprisals were out of proportion to the risk posed by the cartels.

Venezuela and Colombia, known to be enemies of each other, one an enemy of the US and the other a purported ally both sign up mercenary volunteers, one officially the other more seratipously, to support the cartels against this overt act of aggression on the part of the US.

The UN Secretary General condemns the US for this brazen attack.

The US stands alone except for one ally and the Mexican people who while they hate this attack on their sovereign nation they are no fans of the cartels which are interrupting their lives and causing misery on a daily basis. And while some support the cartels the vast majority would just as soon live and let live with the US.

*****

Now substitute 2008 for 2009, Hamas for the drug cartel, the Palestinian Authority for the Mexican government, Israel for the US, Israel for San Diego, Iran for Venezuela, Saudi Arabia for Colombia, and rocket attacks on civilians for drug interdiction; you now understand the current Israeli-Hamas skirmish.

Israel lost a lot of political currency with the Lebanese incursion last year, especially within their own country as it was wildly unpopular. But this is a clearly a case of a country defending itself against a terrorist organization who in it's charter vows to eliminate Israel and who holds a majority of seats on the Palestinian parliament.

I am not a proponent of wars, nor am I proponent of terrorism. But if Cuba started launching rockets into Miami the resulting reaction would be as brutal as it would be brief. And we would all be celebrating and telling he rest of the world to go f*ck themselves. The difference Israel will not celebrate because they live in a war zone 24/7 and they understand it is a necessary evil.