Hearts and Minds

We have been told for the past 5 yrs that the battles in Iraq were not just military battles, but battles for hearts and minds. If the people on the street grew to hate the U.S. soldiers patrolling their streets, we wouldn't have a chance of winning the peace.

The same discucssion is being had in Israel today as some testimonies of Israeli soldiers has surfaced involving the Gaza incursion last December and January.

Testimonies, which were given by combat pilots and infantry soldiers, also included allegations of unnecessary destruction of Palestinian property.
"We would throw everything out of the windows to make room and order. Everything... Refrigerators, plates, furniture. The order was to throw all of the house's contents outside," a soldier said.
One non-commissioned officer related at the seminar that an old woman crossing a main road was shot by soldiers.
"I don't know whether she was suspicious, not suspicious, I don't know her story… I do know that my officer sent people to the roof in order to take her out… It was cold-blooded murder," he said.

Read BBC article here; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7952603.stm

When any country sends young men with guns into foreign lands...the result is going to be some horrendous behavior. Sadly, this is part of the human condition. And the simmering hatred between Jews and Arabs isn't simply reserved for the Arabs. I guarantee some hatred of Arabs and frustration boiled out of the Israeli fighters...and if they broke their military's law, they should and will be punished.

It is interesting how the world seems to jump all over the alleged "war crimes" committed by Israel, but that same world was pretty much silent over the 6000 missiles that the Palestinians (at the order of their commanders) targeted into civilian Israeli neighborhoods. If that were any other people group doing that behavior, the world would be outraged...but since it is the poor Palestinians, the world looks the other way.

Jesus is the only man who is going to solve this mess.