The absence of the suicide bombers

CBS:

Suicide bombings have long been the most visible symptom of the struggle between Israel and its Muslim enemies, but during the most recent fighting there have been none.

Hezbollah's fighters along the Lebanese border are firing rockets into Israel and fighting a guerilla-style campaign against Israeli troops, while Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have not been able to strike back at Israeli forces.

"The focus for Hamas and Hezbollah is fighting Israeli forces, so they haven't been putting as much energy into sending a suicide bomber into Israel," said Yehudit Barsky, director of the American Jewish Committee's Division on Middle East and International Terrorism.

But the absence of suicide attacks is not likely a permanent development. Hezbollah pioneered such bombings in the 1980s — most famously with the Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon that killed 241 people — and Palestinian militant groups terrorized Israel with dozens of bombings during the Intifada that started in 2000.

Both have increased their threats against Israel recently, and terrorism experts say that militants will eventually find a way to carry out those threats.

The questions that no one can answer are where and when a strike would occur.

"The big problem that Israel has got right now is that its behavior is generating the next generation of suicide bombers," said Robert Pape, the author of "Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism."

Pape believes that Israel's offensive in southern Lebanon will likely inspire civilians from all walks of life to volunteer for suicide missions.

"If this keeps up, and you end up provoking a really large suicide bombing campaign, it could be a tragedy," Pape said.

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This creating sucicide bombers meme is as reidiculous as it is irrelevant. Perhaps they have sent most of their suicide bombers to Iraq. Israel has captured or killed several attempted bombers during the duration of this latest conflict so it si not like they are not trying, it is more that Israel has made it more difficult. The wall has probably also had an effect on the ability of the bombers to get into Israel. I think if Hezballah could it would send in the suicide bombers, because they could kill more a a couple of food stands than the thousands of ineffective rockets that the terrorist have fired into Israel. It could be that Hezballah does not have the expertise or the rockets or too undependable to air, but they have made no significant attacks on Israel's military units. They have had limited success at hitting some communities and have killed a few noncombatants, apparently on purpose.

When I see analysis like this I am reminded of World War II when I am sure the British declaration of war increased German recruiting, as the Nazi attacks on London increased British recruiting. Both sides did what they thought they had to do to win. Israel should do the same. One of the problems with type of thinking in this piece is that it envisons a continuation of of the prewar status quo. Israel's objective is to change the status quo. Right now most of the UN favors that change.