It is Israel's tragedy that too many of its people now believe permanent war is better than peace
By Max Hastings
Whoever started the violence, the Israelis did all the killing.
Here was the latest manifestation of the ruthlessness towards the Palestinians which has long characterised Israeli policy, but is today brutally explicit under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has dismissed President Obama's demands that Israel should halt Jewish settlement-building on the occupied West Bank of Jordan.
Thanks to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, many Israelis believe that permanent war is preferable to peace
He has sustained a blockade of Gaza, officially intended to prevent the import of weapons but in reality designed to drive its inhabitants to renounce the extremist government of Hamas.
Netanyahu believes the Arab world understands only the language of power and exercise of force. He and his supporters are determined to build the Israel they want - where desirable, on Palestinian land.