That seems to be what Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday threatened a "painful" response to Palestinian rocket fire menacing southern Israel, suggesting that Israel's blistering offensive against Gaza Strip militants fell short of its goals.
Olmert's exact words were:
"The Israeli government has formulated policies and a unanimous decision has been made by the cabinet according to which, should the rocket fire continue, we will respond in a serious, painful, strong and uncompromising way. The cabinet's decision will be carried out until the terror organizations understand that Israel is not willing to accept their way."
I am an unabashed, proud supporter of Israel and I was on their side 100% in Operation Cast Lead. This new blustery rhetoric, however, has got even me worried.
Olmert's pledge comes following a period of increasing Hamas rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel:
Gaza terrorists continued their attacks on Israeli civilian areas on Sunday evening, firing six rockets at the western Negev. One of the Kassams hit in the yard of a Sderot home, causing slight damage to the house.
On Saturday morning, two advanced Kassams were fired at the city, one of which tore through an empty school, destroying classrooms and spraying shrapnel in all directions.
These are horrible terrorist attacks by Hamas and Israel has every right to defend its citizens from the Hamas threat, and if it came to Israel having to send forces back into Gaza to do so, I'd support them again. However, the tone and word choice of Olmert's threat, "serious, painful, strong and uncompromising," unnerves me. It perhaps even unnerved incoming Prime Minister Netanyahu, who "had no immediate comment on the Cabinet decision."
I want Israel to continue to maintain the moral high ground in its battle against the Hamas terrorists, and this sort of hurtful, vengeance-minded rhetoric threatens to lower Israel to the level of its enemies. If Israel needs to keep bombing Gaza, fine. If they need to send troops back in to quell the rocket attacks, fine. But do so without hatred on your mind.