From Israel Takes A Stupid Pill:

Let’s see if I have this right. The Arab “terrorists” attack military units, destroy at least one tank, and are therefore terrorists. Israel retaliates by launching aerial, naval, and artillery bombardments of civilian areas and they are engaging in self-defense. If we are unable to recognize the hypocrisy of this construct then we ourselves are so enveloped by propaganda and emotion that, like the Israelis, Hezbollah, and Hamas, we can’t think rationally. We can only think in terms of tribalism and revenge.

And from Killing civilians to protect civilians:

Terrorists kill civilians as a means to apply pressure to a country, its leaders, and/or its people to change its ways. Though they have often been a target of this behavior themselves, Israel appears to be doing precisely that.

[…]

Most of us have been raised to believe Israel and America are the good guys, but it says here that good guys do everything they can to save innocent lives, not waste them, no matter what borders they live between.

Precisely on all counts.  Israel is devastating Lebanese civilians by blockading the entire country.  They are wiping out the civilian infrastructure at every turn.  Thus far, the numbers indicate only civilians have been killed (with, I’m sure, a sprinkling of Hezb’Allah mixed in, but not a majority by any stretch).

But they’re not just killing Lebanese civilians.  They’re kill all civilians.  That includes nationals and tourists from a great many countries (seven Canadians, most from the same Montreal family, were killed just yesterday).

And here we sit watching it all happen, claiming Israel has a right to defend itself by doing precisely what they claim they’re defending themselves from: attacks on civilians.

Given more than 100,000 civilians have died in Iraq since we “liberated” that country, I can see we’re leading by example.  That certainly explains why we’re not blinking at the atrocity Israel is inflicting on the innocent people of Lebanon, not to mention the intentional weakening of its newly elected democratic government.

[Update @ 12:29 PM]: Why does America keep blocking U.N. action?  “The U.N. Security Council on Saturday again rejected pleas that it call for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon after the United States objected, diplomats said. […] It was the sole member of the 15-nation U.N. body to oppose any council action at all at this time…”