I've been trying to ignore it because i just didn't want to know what sort of quagmire was forming. More than a week i've been doing my best to pretend it wasn't in the headlines. But they're persistent bastards, so i finally clicked on the link to read today's bright and cheery news on Israel.

Can somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?

They're playing chicken with the French and German peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.

French troops forming part of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon nearly shot down Israeli fighter jets, which appeared to be in attacking positions, revealed French defense minister Michele Alliot-Marie Wednesday.

They missed by just two seconds, she told the lower house of French parliament, citing instances of how Israeli warplanes had been adopting a hostile attitude to French and German forces maintaining peace in the disturbed area.

As if the resumption of hostilities between them and Palestine weren't enough.

Early on Wednesday, Israeli tanks bombarded a residential district in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, killing at least 18 Palestinians, including eight children, and leaving several dozens injured.

Is this part of some larger plan or has everyone completely lost their minds? Again.

Granted, Israel feels threatened by its neighbors, who are quite willing to shoot rockets at them. But Israel's not innocent in all of this either. Taking a cue from the U.S. (whose foreign policy and strategy are peerless), i think they've been much more willing to strike "pre-emptively" to protect themselves. Seeing as that turned out so well for us, i can only imagine how much better it will work for Israel.