Hezballah's suprise. What's after missiles?

If Iran’s playing “chess” (A Middle East chess match: Understanding Hezbollah’s strategy” 7-27-06) Israel is about to get checked. If Hezbollah is holding back its more powerful, long-range and accurate missiles as Thomas Lipscomb suggests, their use - an escalation of weapons technology against Israel - won’t stop with more advanced missiles.

But, what did Israel expect building a fence/wall…for protection? Did they really think their enemies wouldn’t find a way to get over it? Israel could develop a sophisticated missile defense system but eventually, nuclear and biological weapons will be created, purchased or stolen and then a medieval catapult would be sufficient to deliver these WMD against the Jewish state and its persecuted citizens.

Israel could chose to further escalate its violence and use it’s nuclear weapons to preempt any suspected enemies. But this would generate more innocent deaths than Hitler’s gas chambers and Israel would lose any high ground it may have once had. And, eventually, their enemies would use such carnage to justify Israel’s destruction and final annihilation.

Those who live by the sword…might start thinking of another path. That of international law. Not the UN kind enforceable only with sanctions that are either as lethal as war and completely ineffective but a global law that holds individuals accountable for their actions.

When someone throws a rock they are not shot with rubber bullets. When a family is killed on a beach by an explosion there is a credible investigation and fair trial to determine those responsible. When a suicide bomber kills civilians those who assisted him are hunted down and captured for trail, not assassinated with acceptable collateral damage.

Time is running out. Lethal technology is advancing far faster than our political systems can adapt. Make law, not war. When one side takes a stand that they are willing to die for what they believe but not willing to kill, they will get the vote (and support) of the majority of the world’s people. Those who are willing to kill innocent people (intentionally or unintentionally) will continue to be the criminals that the world despises.

Peace in the Middle East won’t come from more or less weapons. It will come from justice. Justice that comes from a democratic process and applied fairly in the protection of inalienable human rights.