Unfortunate indeed...

I really don't understand why you see this disparity between my questioning whether or not there was an alternative option for Israeli response to ANY aspect of the Palestinian/Hamas issue (not simply the terrorism aspect) and my "opinions" on the topic.

Plainly put, I am convinced there are other options (this is still only my "opinion")... but I never said I was convinced that the options being followed by Israel weren't the BEST ones. When I say I was asking a question, I was trying to start a discussion on the viability of these other options (if they are indeed viable). It is painfully obvious that you resent and take serious objection to the manner in which I phrased my post... I simply do not understand why yet. Yes, I used hyperbole and invectives in my post... but it was a devil's advocate position, and I didn't feel it was out of line.

We've been down the "nice police" road before, and frankly I don't care what you call me or how you define my "opinion" or my "questions". If, however, you choose to label my stated position as ignorant, idiotic, disgusting or stupid, I would expect something more than simple assumptions on your part about where my position stems. Please leave your automatic association that anything I might say against Israeli policy is my final position on the matter... that is a non sequitur of the first order. It is no different than making the blanket assumption that because I do not support Obama, I must be anti-American... and we all know that is NOT the case for any of us.

Let me give you an example: You seem to have made the assumption that I am against the "embargo"... but I most certainly am NOT. I can say this freely and without hesitation because there is no embargo to be against. As you have said, I am fully aware that nothing coming into Gaza is being withheld EXCEPT weapons and explosives that could be used in attacks against Israeli and Palestinian peoples, which would be contraband material anyway and doesn't count as an embargoed item. What IS being withheld (by the Israelis, the US, the EU and Russia) is MONEY, which the PA needs to get water, power and basic services to the Gaza populations. This is the choke-hold that the West (and Israel) is putting on Hamas as the elected leadership of the Gazan people. If rockets, bombings or kidnappings happen in spite of the withholding of funds and aid, Israel responds like they would at any other time... they respond with military action, quick and deadly. NONE OF THIS IS ANYTHING I WOULD NOT SUPPORT 100% OF THE TIME!!!!!!!

One avenue of discussion I had wanted to follow, had this thread not degenerated into name calling and temper tantrums, was the possibility that Israel was doing far too much reacting to Hamas attacks, and not enough proactive or preventative actions to stop Hamas from 1) being able to launch the rockets or kidnap the soldiers and 2) reduce Hamas' support amongst the Palestinian people by showing how antithetical Hamas policy is to a peaceful and production existence for the common man in Palestine. Am I wrong for wanting to follow THAT train of thought? Is it "morally" questionable to think that the IDF isn't doing ENOUGH?

Lastly, I will not retract my "final solution" comments because I still think that the burden is on YOU to show that your "opinion" on the Palestinian question in specific and Islam in general does not lead you towards the tendency to make broad, generalized statements that support the "destruction" of all that isn't 100% in support of current Israeli policy. How can that be any less "ignorant" or "one-sided" than a position that is automatically AGAINST everything and anything Israel does (like the things most liberals say all the time)?

Respond if and when you wish... I'm fine either way. We seem to be past the rhetorical fire-storm that was your first response, and at least we are "discussing" the topic more than we are labeling each other as an idiotic ignoramus.