Deputy Defense Minister: Israel making every effort to avoid war

Chris, You seem to be an expert on everything. Have you offered your services to the Israeli government as a personal consultant! Why don't you sit in your corner and eat your curds and whey?

so they must go for smaller foes like hamas and hizbo. If you chickens don't go after iran then nothing will change by attacking hizbo. It will be a lose-lose situation with Lebanon becoming your vietnam nightmare all over. And I am betting that you have not figured out how to be an occupier of lebanon without having fierce resistance throughout your stay.

and the world will stand by and allow Israel to do what you suggest? George W Bush as left the white house and the current right wing government are on the way out. Even Canadian troops will be out of Afghanistan this year. Yet you talk of the west allowing a situation to arise where thousands iof lebanese will seek asylum in France etc. Not going to happen

If Israel indeed seeks peace with its neighbors, it will be wonderful to watch its army's actions match Mr Vilmai's words.

I'd like to see you volunteer and serve in the IDF. The you can threaten destruction like Haiti. Control your emotions my little friend. Go finish your school homework first of you'll get detention.

Hezbollah is an integral part of the Lebanese government, and that means far more widespread destruction than the previous round. The Lebanese had their chance.

Any war is absolutely not a show. Your statement of grabbing popcorn and watching is moronic!

Israel isn't a sworn enemy, just an enemy. With sworn enemies, lots of talk, but much more soft, and vulnerable!

I like butter on my popcorn please. You can't defeat hizballa simply because it is made up of lebanese people. They will only be weakened hopefully for a long time and prevented from being regrouped. I would then hope that hizballa be banned altogether for causing misery to Lebanon. I also hope that the fighting does not spill out too much to teh rest of non-hozballa controlled area. No doubt Israel will try to cause some serious infrastructure damage throughout Lebanon just to turn the public against Hizballa. But still, bothHizballa and Israel are hated the same. I also expect heavy causlties and destruction against the IDF and within Israel proper, this time with more effective abd accurate targets. So, don't forget, butter with my popcorn.

Maybe Bibi can inflict heavy damage,not a deadly blow, but what's new. Well what's new is that this time Israel is likely to receive a heavy blow too. In the end,Lebanon (ie the people living on the piece of land) has been around, in various forms,since BC times. It is time tested, not so Israel.

too, as well as place but not necessarily time. In any case, the latter won't matter to Israel's ennemy,as its determination is not time bound

Deputy Defense Minister Vilnai was the great seer that foretold of the Gaza "shoa" almost a year in advance. Israel is fortunate to have such great minds; he was right-on.

The chances are that Israel will not attack Iran, however, this would not even be an option for Israel unless they first "neutralize" the threat from Hizbollah. This means that Israel needs a war with Lebanon within a year. This war will be a large scale war with the IDF advancing well toward the Litani in order to uncover weapons caches. The IDF knows that this would be an expensive proposition for them and they would be prepared to lose hundreds of men in order to finally "defeat" Hizbollah. Of course, Hizbollah will have a few cards up their sleeves as well. It may end up costing much more than Israel was ready to pay. Well, anyway, for those of us outside Israel and Lebanon, it is all entertainment anyway. Root for your favorite team.

"Deputy Defense Minister: Israel making every effort to avoid war" - Anshel Plfeffer Translating from Bibi Speak to English this headline reads: "Israel itching to start a war." But that is because Bibi Netanyahu seems to believe HE is Israel, and that Israel is his personal toy to be used for personal political gain. I don't see all Israelis so excited to start a war as the members of the Netanyahu regime. When nations start wars that need not happen, it is usually because their leaders are incompetent, criminal or both. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/objects/send.gif

let israel then, promote peace. let israel make every effort to promote peace instead of acting like its belligerent prime minister who never misses any chance to promote provocation.

as well as time, and place, if needed.

Normal, routine, border control and patrols. Pretty much like any international border. No special military units, no special mobilization, nothing but what has always been on the border. So any accusations of special activity is not correct. The Golan area where training takes place is far from this area.

Planet Earth will stand idly by and watch Israel systematically destroy a nation. So we can have millions of Lebanese claiming asylum in our countries. More likely Israel would be forced to stop within a day of mounting an assault on Lebanon. If Israel is even allowed to start one. Israel is giving the impression of wanting to invade Lebanon whilst denying it because they want the west to prevent the Syrians establishing a working air defence network in Lebanon based on the SA-2 weapons system. Anything else is bullshit.

No matter what you may think of Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanon knows he is no one to mess with. Bibi will destroy Lebanon if attacked this time, he won't hesitate to take out missile launch sit5es if in cities. He will deal Lebanon itself a deadly blow not just Hezbullah.

2 troublemakers going at it. I love it. I hope the Lebanese maximize their outcome by: 1. Weakening Hizballa and other armed militias who continue to threaten Lebanon. 2. Weakening Iran 3. Weakening Syria 4. Increasing the western influence in the government 5. Reaffirm the sovereignty of Lebanon

recently moved to the northern border. Then the Deputy Defense Minister can re-issue the statement that Israel is doing everything possible to avoid war.

There is more to what meets the eye. There is going to be an eventual confrontation with Hezbollah. Israel should have smashed them in 2006. Thanks to Bush and Condi Rice Israel did not. The next time around, Israel MUST clean up Lebanon in a professionl way.

an offensive against Lebanon is a play on words. Netanyahu has every intention of carrying out an offensive against Hezbollah.

and messages through third parties that Israel views the deployment of the SA-2 as a redline which will lead to war between Israel and Lebanon, Syria and Iran are virtual threats then? That should calm the situation down.

..... Your bluffing and even if you weren't, the resistance in the north should be on alert 24 hrs a day... Your daily infiltration of Lebanons air space and constant threats are a good enough reason to suggest that your up to no good. Frankly, I don't see the northern front scared or backing away from a confrontation.