>But from what I see/hear Isreal has gone wayyyyyy too far. Just as the U.S. has gone wayyyyyyyyyy too far in the (alleged) "war on terror".
>
>Seems to me Israel could have strengthened its border posts to deter future kidnappings.

That is not a solution as the rockets into would still be flying as they were before the kidnappings.

>By escalating the way they have Israel knew full well that it was jeopardizing countless regular citizens, yet their deaths seem to be acceptable while harm to the 2 soldiers is not.

C'mon Jim. There is a difference between targeting Hezbollah's members, safehouses and weapons caches, which are purposfully hidden amidst civillians and firing unguided rockets, some loaded with ball bearings for maximum casualties, into a city hoping to kill as many civilians as possible.

How many Israeli civilians would've been killed were it not for their air-raid sirens and countless bunkers? The rockets have been flying since the pullout. Just like what happened in Gaza.

Take this from another angle. What if the weapons were reversed and Israel had rockets and Hizballah had tanks, jets and 2000k bombs? Is there any doubt that hundreds of thousands of Israeli's would be immolated and their cities reduced to rubble?

>Personally, I think there's something bigger at play here, probably involving attempts to get 'reaction' from Syria and/or Iran... then watch the fireworks fly!

There are several messages being sent.

Israel is sending a message to Syria and Iran. They know that Syria has provided the Katyusha rockets with ball-bearings. They know that the radar guided cruise missles that hit an Israeli warship and an Egyptian fishing boat were C-802s which are an Iranian-made variant of the Chinese Silkworm.

The US is sending message by not restraining Israel.
The message from other Arab leaders, by not supporting Hezbollah, to Iran and Syria.

>Nothing better for the future of incumbents than to have a broadening war to deal with.

Israel just had its national election in March. There is more going on that politics.