>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/hizballah.htm:
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>A heavy exchange of fire between Hizbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) across the Blue Line took place on 21 November 2005, surpassing any activity level since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000. The exchange began with heavy Hizbollah mortar and rocket fire from a number of locations against several IDF positions close to the Blue Line in the eastern sector of the UNIFIL area of operation. Simultaneously, a large group of Hizbollah fighters infiltrated Ghajar village and launched an assault on the Mayor’s office and the IDF position inside the village, south of the Blue Line, which was vacant at the time. The ensuing Israeli retaliation was heavy and included aerial bombing. The exchange of fire subsequently spread all along the Blue Line and lasted for over nine hours. Around 800 artillery, tank and mortar rounds and rockets were exchanged. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) dropped at least 30 aerial bombs.
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>Lots of information out there, Dragan. And for a peacenik, you sure seem like you're taking sides in this affair.

Look, for a number of decades I had all the sympathies for the Jewish people (and still have them), but can't really stick to them as long as they condone and support the policy of the state of Israel. I'm brought up that way - nobody who occupies others' lands is a good guy in my book. That much history was hammered into my head - my people have suffered five centuries of Ottoman rule (actually more like 360 years, but spread over five centuries), some parts were under Austro-Hungarian empire, we were under occupation in both world wars. It's something you pick up as you grow, to never be on the side of the occupator, period.

That's not to say I like the Islamic fundamentalists - I've seen how they operate (yes, the Kosovo Albanians) and what dirty tactics they employ, how intolerant they can be of others (but also how tolerant they can be - my best neighbors back home were Muslim Roma, not fundamentalist though). It's just that they have several things going for them: they have a legitimate reason to resist occupation, they are the underdog (just compare the weaponry), and they are the side being denigrated in the same media which denigrated my people last time.

Now I wish Israel took the high road for once (whatever you wanted to say now, please don't - or we'll roll back to Roman times looking for who started first), unconditionally return the territories, and then expose Islamic fundamentalists (and their own, you saw them on Frontline) for what they really are. Until that happens, the state of Israel pretty much looks like the aggressor to me, despite my sympathies for their people.

Then I could return to what I wanted to think about both sides.