You don't have to imagine it McGrath - there is a mountain of evidence all over the net showing that people in Gaza view the rockets as the only alternative they have.

I am not commenting on whether this is right or wrong, I am just saying that it is what people living in Gaza say - they are defending themselves.

Do I feel its right to fire rockets at civilians? No I don't. I think it is unacceptable.

But from an academic point of view, I tend to be inclined to see it the way finkelstein does - that it is a form of protest where there are no alternatives that work, and the only other apparent option is to bend over and take it.

Peaceful protest happens every day in Gaza and is met with violence every time, yet both the large scale peaceful proesting and the disproportionate and often lethal response generally goes unreported.

Violence is inflicted against palestinians by settlers every day in East Jerusalem and on the west bank against farmers and their property and crops, and the IDF stands by and watches and allows it, and it goes unreported.

If you are slowly being strangled and nobody is helping, you will eventually start kicking.

The rockets have succeeded in keeping the issue in the news and the world is paying attention to the debate.