Ship of fools.

There are Israeli commandos and IDF regulars mounted on the Palestinian border, awaiting orders to go in ... I think those orders will come.

So, after 2 years of HAMAS shelling border towns, 6000 rockets raining down, and dozens of Israeli civilian casualties, the only flourishing democracy in the Near East has decided to act in defense of her peoples. They have now killed, according to UN estimates, 379 Palestinians. 310 are known HAMAS militants, the West knows them as terrorists. Even the most dovish of Israeli political factions, commentators and newspapers (and yes, they do exists in Israel) are in support of this action, even going so far as to question aloud in their various mediums what took the government so long. The Jerusalem Post has current Israeli civilian support near 91%. Hell, even Egypt has more or less told HAMAS, hey, we told you so. But lets get back to that other number - 310.

Now think about that ratio, for anyone still blindly, ignorantly claiming a moral equivalency between the two sides in this conflict. There are Israeli troops currently on the border, closer, easier to strike in proximity, yet HAMAS continues to shell towns behind them. Now we could go on and on with decades of examples since 1948 of the painstaking efforts of Israel to both coexist and avoid civilian casualties when war was necessary. But lets just review just a few recent ones, shall we?

First, Israel is a democracy by every standard. HAMAS, to this day, has the destruction of the State of Israel in its charter. There are more freely elected Muslims in the Israeli Kanessa then in all Middle Eastern nations, combined. Upon confirming the death of a Israeli citizen HAMAS agents distribute leaflets in the streets of their victory in killing yet another "infidel." When Palestinian civilian casualties occur the IDF does a follow up investigation to ensure all proper policies and procedures were followed and there was no blatant recklessness on the part of her armed forces. HAMAS stores their rockets in civilian neighborhoods next to entire families, quite literally, and even launches from those civilian sites. When IDF forces mark one of those rocket sites for targeting they first send out a 2 minute warning via a robo call to the neighboring civilian's home, urging them to immediately evacuate. In contrast HAMAS has recently, just in time for Christmas, legalized Crucifixion as punishment for the ominously defined "infidel." Nice huh? Crucifixion, at Christmas time. Oh, and should anyone think "infidel" is defined only by Israelis or Zionists, HAMAS shelled a pilgrimage of Christians on their way to Bethlehem ... also for Christmas.

One could (and I'm sure has) write entire books full of chapters distinguishing the absence of a moral equivalency. Now understand, no honest soul claims that Israel has been perfect in her defense nor response, but there is no perfect defense, and it should be noted how apt those descriptive words are - defense ... response.

I am of the opinion that most Western powers are all verbally dancing around the obvious (France now is offering to broker a cease fire) - there is no peace to keep. Namely, because there is no victor. A victory must be established, then, and only then, can peace be established. And clearly that victor MUST be Israel. How do you begin a negotiation, a discussion, rely on a so called "partner in peace", when your "partner" has your very destruction in its charter? What is the jumping off point? What is the rationale for opening discussions? And that brings us to the 800 lb gorilla in the room that NO ONE in any Western government will dare say out loud. No government representative, chief executive or UN member will cross the grand puba of politically incorrect statements and just admit to the ONLY "peace plan" that can work - HAMAS must be defeated. There is no other way. And not just for Israeli's but for the suffering people of Palestine - suffering, I say, under the yoke of hate and violence HAMAS injects into each succeeding generation. And what is heart breakingly sad were a TRUE era of acceptance and coexistence established in Palestine they could quickly become one of the wealthiest and most prosperous lands in all the region - they could trade, build, and buy with the two huge economies they share a border with - Israel and Egypt. And even sell their goods to another border nation, the wealthy Jordanians.

But this bright future will never manifest by trying to "talk" HAMAS out of its terrorist manifesto and commitment, nor by waiting and hoping for their particular brand of Islam to spontaneously undergo a reformation. That poison must be removed, or that land will never heal.

Oh ... and the subject line? Not only does it described those claiming a moral equivalency or avoiding publicly uttering the necessary route to peace, but a literal ship set sail in the Mediterranean Sea. Just a few dozen people, including Westerners, that were intent on docking in Palestine - to bring aid and demonstrate support in Gaza, and protest Israeli "attacks." One of those on board was a former US Congresswoman. True story. Cynthia McKinney. She lost a reelection bid in her Georgia congressional district a few years ago after wondering aloud on a radio program if 9/11 was an inside job with the help of Israeli agents. Her father went on to claim she was defeated by one word - JEWS. She most recently ran for president (of the United States) as the Green Party nominee, where she garnered a commanding 0.25% of the national vote.

The Israeli Navy wisely turned the ship around.