As Israel refuses to stop its use of force against Gaza, the question becomes, "what can the International community do?" The United Nations Security Council is trying to pass a resolution condemning Israel's action. So far, however, this effort has been to no avail and will remain so as long as the United States is there exercising its veto power, as they consider any resolution against Israel unfair for focusing on Israel's actions and not Hamas'.

Your comments:

Let us suppose you are able to round up a "coalition of the willing". If you manage to somehow transport them to a position where they can attack Israel, how long will they stay alive? The Malaysian army attacks Israel? The Army of Venezuela? Surely you jest?

In a week Israel can have over 400,000 troops, well-trained and well-supplied with the best modern armament. Morale? The Israelis have no where to retreat to and if they ever lose a war all their women and children will die. And you want to send the Venezuelan army against them?
ROGER WREN

Yes I agree, this is the time for the international community to use force against Israel atrocities. Don't just be silent with a thousand languages to see the immoral Israel Army act brutally in Gaza, shooting innocent women and children. Where is justice? Where is human rights? Nowhere. RALPH

Why do people insist that Israel is a war criminal for protecting their citizens? Why isn't Hamas held accountable in an international court for firing rockets into Israel?

Just because the "death score" is one-sided, it is crazy to think Israel is the only bad guy in this mess. Just because Israel is more successful when it launches an attack doesn't mean they are more wrong than Hamas.

Right now there are over 800 deaths, including civilians. Yes, it's terrible. War is wrong and everyone should stop it. But I think the perpetrators should stop too, then Israel won't have any excuse to defend itself. In African nations using violence, there are tens of thousands of deaths that the world ignores. Why the interest in Gaza? JIM S.

Good God a professor of law at the university. Forgive me, I am not a professor but I do profess to know the following. When the Israelis left Gaza in 2005 and I quote, "American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for US$14 million and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash".

Palestinian police stood by helplessly as looters carted off materials from greenhouses, 4,000 people lost their jobs and Gaza became a professional importer of AIDs. IWAN

I would support your opinion if you were able to recognize the veto right that China and Russia have used to stop the world from killing 200,000 civilians in Sudan. Maybe even a slight acknowledgement of the 7,000 rockets Hamas has fired at Israel -- targeting citizens -- since Israel left Gaza, taking all military personnel and settlers with them.

Your article sadly implies that Israel is intentionally killing Palestinian civilians. You know that it is not true. Everyone knows it, but they are using it as an excuse to demonize Israel. IAIN

The problem with this article is that it is too much influenced by Juwana's emotion. Thus, it fails to deliver a balanced opinion. Assessing the problem of the Middle East has to be done with a mind free of prejudice. Otherwise we (intellectuals) are no different from those screaming on the streets of Jakarta, wanting to be sent to the Middle East for Jihad.

The consequence of theof force against Israel" from the perspective of international law is hardly explored in this article. Actually, it is a very crucial part that intellectuals have to explain if they want to come up with issues such as "Use of Force".

The reason is because it will challenge the notion of "sovereignty" not only for countries in the Middle East, but also for many other countries (including Indonesia). ALAIN D

Juwana may be a professor, but certainly not of international law. Israel is a sovereign country and member of the UN, duly recognized by several of its Muslim neighbors, such as Jordan and Egypt.

It's action in Gaza was clearly undertaken to protect its citizens from attacks by a group which has been classified by several western countries as a "terrorist" organization.

The professor's views would indicate that the interests of sovereign countries are inferior to those of terrorists. Such a viewpoint would have serious implications for the sovereignty of Indonesia over peoples within its realm who rebel against such rule by Jakarta. TOMASO TETTAMANTI,
Lugano, Switzerland

Popular

Garuda Indonesia grounds 15 planes over maintenance, financial issues

Government forms anti-extortion task force

Decline in Indonesia’s press freedom alarming