Blood or knowledge 2

It appears that there are more people who do not necessarily share the blood thirst so popular these days. Olmert gets a leg up from an unexpected direction - JP, in an article In defense of Ehud Olmert by David J. Martin, an "international lawyer based in Tel Aviv and adjunct professor of law at Cardozo Law School in New York".

Hizbullah made three mistakes. It failed to understand the Israeli reaction to a kidnapping (with its implicit visions of torture). There may be cultural reasons for this misunderstanding.

Second, it miscalculated Olmert's response and underestimated his ability to rally both political and public support for strong action in Lebanon.

Third, Hizbullah did not foresee the stubbornness of US support for Israel even in the light of other international pressures.

It is not clear if Olmert was prescient or lucky, but he must be applauded for his success in dealing with each of the above.

Whether Mr Martin is right or not, the article shows clearly the necessity of careful analysis, which is definitely lacking in the current atmosphere of a witch hunt.