There's no question that many Islamic fighters wish to destroy Israel. I'm sure that many in Hamas wish to destroy Israel. Okay. However, Hamas has now been elected by the Palestinians.

So the sensible thing to do now would be to negotiate with Hamas and see if their newly found status as a ruling political party can move them in a more moderate direction. It's a possibility, isn't it? Wouldn't it help?

What is the alternative? You can't kill them all. That's already been demonstrated.

How do you get extremists to moderate their views if you won't even talk to them?

Demanding that they disarm (which seems to be what the Israelis want...) is unrealistic. It's as unrealistic as someone demanding that Israel or the USA disarm. They are not completely stupid, and they will not disarm any more than the Israelis will disarm. Nor will they promise never again to launch an attack on Israel unless the Israelis promise never again to launch an attack on them...and that ain't gonna happen. ;-)

What you do when you have disagreements like this is...you talk...or you fight. Talking would seem more productive at this point. Fighting hasn't solved anything in the past, has it?

Again, what is the alternative?

Or is this just a question of two groups of people who are both so assured of their own moral superiority and trapped in their own angry rhetoric that they can't be bothered to talk sensibly to each other? (kind of like certain individuals on Mudcat...)