Israel has invaded Gaza...

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

No me: the stated aim of Hamas is to remove physically the Israeli state.

No doubt in my mind that if Hamas had the nuclear option, it would use it.
Have no illusion about the extreme position of Hamas.

It sees Israel as an intolerable imposition not only on the Palestinians but on
the Arab people in general.

I am saying it is time to step back from it suicidal attitude.

What suicidal attitude? So Israel invades. They will take some losses, then Israel will pull out. Israel will try to make the punishment harsh, but there will actually be rather strict limits to how far they will go, in retaliation for a missle barrage that has caused, I think, one death....

Hammas isn't doing anything suicidal. They will come out of this just fine. Suicide, for them, would be becoming, in young Arab eyes, 'soft' on Isarel. Then their own people would get rid of them, something beyond Israel's power.

You said defeat of Israel. Now you say physical removal of Israel. "A suitcase bomb" is not enough for the first, and much less enough for the second. That's all I'm saying.

Basically, you're just throwing around this talk of Hamas using nukes as a way of saying how awful 'they' are. Doubtless some are passionate enough with the war emotion to want to kill some 10's of thousands of Israelis with a small nuke. But control hopefully there would lodge with more rational leadership who would realize the Israelis could and would kill ALL of them in retaliation. I believe this would be the case; I don't think the Hamas is a monstrous, crazed, monolithic 'they.' There are lots of teenagers of strong passion, but also older individuals capable of subtle thought--more like myself and you. Making non-suicidal strategy.