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Agreed, the Palestinians (or a number of them, including their putative leadesr) have created their own problem, but Israel would be blamed. The only way running the Palis out could succeed would be if there were WMD hurled at Israel in a mideast war. Five years ago, I was sympathetic to the Palestinians and thought this Israelis unreasonable and intransigent. Whoo, boy, was I wrong. I still don't like Sharon, because I think over his career he has been part of the problem. However, with things at the pass they are now, and as I have said in the past, Israel has three choices: 1) accomodation with the Arabs, 2) expulsion of the Palestinians and Muslims, or 3) conquest and occupation of large parts of Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Arabia.

The third alternative would be successful in the short run, very problematic in the long run. The first alternative is simply impossible given what we know now about the Arabs, Palestinians and Moslems. That leaves the second 'Fortress Israel' alternative: chuck the brutes out and build a secure border. Not very pretty choices, but I think Israel is going to have to do some ethnic cleansing.

About Ariel Sharon being/not being part of the problem. About what Ariel Sharon did in Lebanon. This is from an Israeli who served there:

#42 Caton 2/3/2003 06:00PM PST

Much to my principle of not speaking ill of a dead
man, I felt revulsion, as the horrors of Lebanon war
victims flashed back in my memory, when Ilan and his
comrades pounded from the sky, innocent Lebanese
civilians, indiscriminately and with no compunction.

Ah, you have no idea how fondly I remember Lebanon... How fondly I remember those Maronite men --and women!-- that helped me hunt PLO hideouts... you know, those with kids and women hiding behind 'em a 'sniper' that missed me when I was less than 5 meters away, killing instead those same women he was hiding behind...

I remember how beautiful Lebanon was, how even those Christian villages that had been destroyed by the PLO had kept in the middle of the ruins some inkling of beauty, some traces of civilization. And those Christians did not want revenge, no, they just wanted to rebuild their churches and their houses, and live peacefully again with their Muslim neighbors. Now most of the surviving Christians have left, to France, Canada, the U.S. or the U.K., chased away by those same neighbors they wanted to live with. Oh, there still are some Christians in Lebanon, that are forbidden to leave and reduced to Dhimmitude... Zia, if you read this, yeah, it's your parents I'm thinking about. Thank G-d we could get your sister out! But we'll try again, I promise.

I remember Beirut inhabitants inviting us for lunch, dinner, whatever, bringing us food and sweets and drinks, thankful that we came to protect them from PLO thugs... I remember the bittersweet joy of our allies when Arafat left, how happy they were of getting rid of them all, but how they also asked us why we didn't kill him...

I remember the horror in the eyes of those same Maronites after Sabra and Chatila, how they couldn't believe some Christian could be driven mad by his personal losses. No wonder he's now allied with the Syrians... And the way in which we all tried to help out the survivors, and how they spit on our help. I have this memory of a Maronite woman literally covered in spit still trying to bring water and food...

Now Israel left Lebanon, and left behind those same people, to be tortured, killed, raped in the Muslim way. I am ashamed of how we turned our back to our allies. Today when I see my Lebanese friends, I feel like I should apoligize. Look, I'm sorry -- I did my best. I was betrayed, too.

Oh of course, M. Jew Hater, you don't have any such memories. You have no idea of what are the horrors of war, and you've never, ever been to Lebanon. You just parrot whatever propaganda was spoon-fed to you. I swear Lebanon will be free again, whatever it takes. Then you will be able to visit -- but don't try spewing your hate speech there. Maronites are good people, loving people, but sometimes short of patience.

Ah, what the hell... I'm losing my time and feeding a troll.

Which part of Ariel Sharon's career is part ofthe problem? Was it when he forced the settlers out of Yamit (in the Sinai) at gunpoint so that the Camp David treaty with Egypt could go forward, or was it when he was Israel's chief negotiator for the Wye River Accord?

The Arabs always bring up the refugee camps in Lebanon. Ariel Sharon wasn't there. What he was guilt of was not giving expressed orders to keep the Phlangist Christian militia out, and they are the ones who massacred Palestinians. Where are those militia leaders today? Why, they are Lebanese government officials, of course. Let's put blame where it rightly belongs.