Israel's Purpose is ... what?

Israel has shown once again that its military machine, financed heavily by the United States, can wreak havoc on any military opponent in the Middle East. The pertinent question, is why prove it again?

An editorial writer for the Times of London opined that a military conflict with Hamas was inevitable. But that's to give Hamas much too much credit. They have been able to lob a few missiles into Israel, but they can't hit anything. They had recently stepped up a bit, but the casualties consisted of no deaths and not many injuries. The Israeli response produced a hundred times the death and destruction that they has sustained.

Skip the morality of this, the "right to defend" and all that crap. Does Israel ever want a solution? It's been demonstrated that the effect of bombing, from World War II on, has not had the effect of "breaking the spirit" of the bombees. In general, it strengthens their resolve. The Jews are proud of hanging together through a couple millenia of persecution. The Palestinians have maintained their identiy and their enmity through six decades. This will only redouble the hostility of both sides.

America can't bring peace to the Middle East, but we can stop financing violence. Times are now tough in this country and the federal budget must be reviewed, in every program, to see if we're getting value for our money. Subsidies to the Israeli military looks like a good candidate for elimination.