By Nachum Katz, Director of Hadassah Neurim

I am not a political interpreter, nor a military expert (at least not anymore). I am not the spokesman for any political party, or a media genius. I am an Israeli civilian, a father and a former Artillery Colonel that spent some of his better years fighting in Lebanon in the hope that his children would never have to fight or fear any more. I am an educator and a dreamer, and a believer in democracy, no matter how difficult and clumsy it can sometimes be. Therefore, please do not seek to read a brilliant examination of the chances to finish this war this way or another, in twelve or sixteen days, along forty or sixty five kilometers.

I am a sane human being that wants a peaceful life, but one that is willing to give it up for a real chance to a better future for my children and my children's children. I am a man that has seen enough blood in Lebanon and in Gaza, in Hadera my town or in Tel Aviv, in person or via the television screen. I witnessed enough burials of my companions, and dreamed about peace and normalcy long enough.

We did not seek this war. We did not invent or provoke it. We do not dream of annihilating our neighbor from the North, Lebanon, or wish to destroy its land. We have no enemy among the Lebanese people. We have more in common than we differ from each other.

We are not fools either. Many of us are not as na?ve as we used to be. Today, our feelings stand one step behind our hopes, and those are one step behind the reality and the possibilities presented to us today. 

We understand that no talks or agreement can bring any short or long term results with Nasralla, as he has no pity for Lebanese, Christians, Muslim or Jews. He has no pity for his own dead son, and even less for every other victim son offered on the sacrificial table of his Islamic insanity and megalomania. We understand that only force will change the insane reality in Lebanon and on our Northern and Southern borders.
 
Our hopes are few, sincere and more realistic than ever. Right now, we trust our government, which waits with the certainty that the international community (mostly the US) will stop us soon (yet hope that for a change, this time it will be different).

We believe in our military, even if some mistakes are made and the price paid in battle will be high (to a certain level, beyond which we know that dispute is around the corner). This puts a lot of strain on our soldiers and officers.

We strengthen ourselves, the public, because this is the kind of elixir needed by the troops and the politicians to keep going, though it is not an easy task to take the continuous blows and pay a high civilian toll. As long as we are united, we show solidarity and are able to hold our breath, we pour energy to the veins of those who need it most. As long as we are calm and determined, the batteries of our troops will remain charged.

Finally, we dream that once and forever, peace can truly be reached in this area, by changing the rules of the game, by crushing the terror on our Northern border, thus discouraging those in the South from continuing the path of blood, restoring some of the deterrence power we had justly earned during so many years of our former wars. There is no "clean" or "surgical" war, or a short, elegant Check move that can eliminate the poisonous guerilla troops fueled by extreme Islamic hatred. Yet with determination, patience, unity, we can prevail, for sure. We have the tools. We have the opportunity. We have the belief. Even though we did not launch all this.

Soon most of it will be over, hopefully. Then we can engage in true talks, I hope, with some sober, sane and more sincere partners than those available today. Then we can seek new solutions for our people, build better futures for our children, their children, as we are all children of God. Yet all this can be done only, but only after the last accord over Hezbullah will be played.