No doubt about it, terror against civilians is the tactic that some Palestinians are using to deter Israelis from seizing more of their lands.

Terror is also the tactic which al Qaeda used to try to deter the US from its commitment to the survival of Israel.

None of this makes the Israelis seizure of more Palestinian lands by armed force any more moral.

In 1948, the UN separated Jew from Moslem. Ever since that time, some among the Jews, and some among the Moslems, have resisted that determination, and have resorted to arms in their defiance.

Either this issue will be decided by by force of law or by force of arms. The separation which the UN declared will have to be imposed by a UN troop deployment - it is unlikely that the two peoples will agree to accept the UN separation if left to their own desires.

The alternative is force of arms. Some in Israel currently believe it can avoid accepting the UN decision by resorting to such a force of arms. Israel has 7 million people, the Moslem world 1 billion. My belief is that while Israel may be able to conquer more Palestinian territory in the short run, it will perish in the long run if it does so, and perish most completely.

The reward for the victor will be empty in either case.

ep