ISRAEL/HAMAS AND THE GAZA STRIP

We have all heard about the battle going on in the Gaza strip between Israel and Hamas. And
of course, now we are hearing the huge outcry about innocent civilians being injured or killed
because of this Israeli "offensive". I would like to give my take on it using a small story which is,
of course, a hugely reduced version of the events taking place in the middle east:

Imagine if on a daily basis you went into your own backyard, and were pelted with rocks being
thrown over the walls by people in the adjoining backyards? Imagine if your children had been hit by these
rocks, and you had to cower in fear of entering your own backyard as a result? Then imagine if
you knew it wasn't your neighbors who were throwing the rocks, but offenders your neighbors were
"allowing" into their backyards to gain closer access to you?

Then imagine if you pleaded with these neighbors to please stop allowing these thugs into their back-
yards where they can then pelt you and your family with the rocks? Now imagine that these neighbors refused to do so, allowing the thugs further access, where they would pelt you with rocks, then flee inside your neighbors homes for protection. Then imagine that the next day your little daughter was hit square in the head with a big rock, cracking her skull, and causing major injuries. You plead again with the neighbors, and also with the police to make them stop, but no one responds, and you must continue to fear going into your own backyard.

Finally, you are fed up, so you and your family members all gather up the rocks and begin to hurl them back towards your neighbors houses shouting "stop throwing the rocks at us---you are hurting our kids!!" As a result some of the neighbors children are injured as they are struck by the rocks. Imagine there is then a neighborhood OUTCRY due to your "violence" for having pelted your neighbors with rocks. "They are hurting innocent children!!" they cry, "and they weren't the one's throwing the rocks in the first place!!"

Yet, this group of "outraged" people does not take into account that those very neighbors had "allowed" thugs to enter their backyards as launching points, and stood by as rocks were thrown at you and your children, and refused to do anything about it. But now that you retaliate and hurt a few of the neighbors children as a result, you are considered the "terrorist".

I have to ask you, does this make sense? The above situation is a good scenario of what is happening to Israel, but of course on a far greater scale. And Israel's retaliation is not with rocks but with rockets and tanks. But what should Israel have done? Just back down, and stand by, as their neighbors "allow" thugs to shoot rockets at Israel from positions within Gaza just as Hezbollah did from Lebanon before? Doesn't Israel have the right to retaliate seeing they have pleaded with Hamas to stop shooting the rockets, and have asked the neighboring countries to stop harboring and allowing terrorists to use them as bases for their air bound terrorism?

I find the world's outrage to be very questionable and disturbing as it is so obvious that Israel MUST retaliate to insure the safety of their citizens. I mean, would you allow your own neighbors to use their backyards as bases for thugs to pelt you with rocks? Wouldn't you retaliate if all of your requests for cease fire failed? Is Israel supposed to allow their own children to be victims of rockets, because retaliation might harm the children of these neighbors who allow thugs in their own back yards? Far from being "terrorists" Israel is only doing what any of us would do if all other means failed when attempting to protect our own families.