Like so many stories, some of the key details tend to get lost when people make their judgements on what is fair and equitable. Take, for instance, the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, through the eyes of these two individuals.
Salem focuses solely on the kidnapped soldier angle, which has received most of the focus in all the press accounts and news stories I’ve seen. And, true, this plays a factor. Taken alone, I would argue that the current escalation of violence could be considered disproportionate.
However, that’s not the whole story, and weighing a response on that factor alone is insufficient. Gordon rightly points this out in his response:
You say that Israel should have first negotiated, instead of immediately reacting. But the Hezbollah already have their negotiating card… they wilfully started a shelling campaign, came over the border and killed and kidnapped Israelis.
The kidnapping occurred inside Israel, not in Lebanon. And it included not just the kidnapping of two soldiers but the deaths of eight others. But even more important is that Hezbollah began firing rockets in to northern Israel even before Israel began its response. When you add that factor in, it’s clear enough that Israel couldn’t just stand idly by chasing after negotiations while it was being attacked.