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Wasn’t the 1981 Osirak bombing pretty widely condemned at the time, even by the US and the UN? See UNSC 487 for details.

In the Reagan diaries, the President wasn't consulted by Begin or the Israelis -- although the State Dept knew of the threat beforehand and consulted with the President. The Carter Admin. never informed Reagan of the situation - it wasn't until a week later that they found memos at the State Dept from the Carter Admin.

There is nothing “civilised” about the manner in which Israel engages its enemies.

The civility I'm referring is to the fact that Israel doesn't target civilians unlike terrorists.

Israel is interested in survival -- and it'll do whatever it takes to survive -- don't forget this is a nation birthed out of the holocaust, it's not going to lie down and let itself be destroyed.

See reply #7. The civility I'm referring is to the fact that Israel doesn't target civilians unlike terrorists. You equate fact with abject fantasy, in my opinion. Get this one fact straight: There are no civilians. Hamas and Hizb'Allah do not see Israelis as "civilians," nor does the IDF see terrorist supporters either in Gaza, the West Bank or the savages threatening the settlements as "civilians." Just as many run to the shelters when Israel retaliates as do when Israel is attacked...at least those with enough sense, anyway. It's still a pretty crazy place. Israel's survival is not in question. What Israel will become in order to survive, however... I last visited in 1993. It was a completely different country from what I had seen 20 years previous. The number of police and armed security guards seemed almost overwhelming, to me. I have heard from family and friends that it is very different now to what it was like in the '90s, now. Since the wall went up, it's much safer, but then again, it is much more visibly militant since two years ago, yet at the same time, society is more politically fragmented, too. There does not seem to be a lot political will to act to improve the security situation - just to handle the shit that happens day to day. There are a lot of Knesset votes that now end in stalemate, or that are abstained from because of politics, not security, than ever before. Those on the left even attack the same security wall that they once lauded as the only option for keeping them and their children safe! Israel did not have any "left wing" I can remember, when I lived there - that's the scarey part of it now...