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Transcrevo, na integra o editorial de ontem doToronto Star

Ceasefire would not deter violence

Contrary to the sadly predictable views expressed by certain appeasers of radical Islamic terrorism, it is not at all difficult to see "what Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hopes to accomplish" in Lebanon. The Israeli objective is very simple and has been openly declared by Israel — to substantially destroy Hezbollah's capacity to fire missiles into Israel's civilian population centres from southern Lebanon.###

The civilian casualties in Lebanon are neither desired by Israel nor are they in Israel's interest. They are, however, the unavoidable result of what the UN's Jan Egeland himself has called Hezbollah's "cowardly blending" i.e. the use of innocent civilians as human shields for its rocket launchers. It is easy to criticize one side without offering any constructive, practical alternatives.

And it is also easy to point the finger of blame at one side using the same old circular arguments about the real causes of the problem while ignoring the clear and present danger. If anyone can come up with a better way to remove the current existential threat to Israel posed by Hezbollah then I am certain that we would all like to hear it. Until then, simply calling for an immediate ceasefire by Israel without at the same time disarming Hezbollah would only preserve the ongoing terrorist menace to Israeli civilians and should therefore be unacceptable to fair-minded people.