Peace is not the cessation of Violence
A lot of people have been clamoring for "peace" in the Middle East, asserting that a ceasefire would bring it about. Unfortunately, they're wrong, they don't understand peace.
Peace is the ability to not worry that one day, your neighbor will attack you.
Peace is the ability to practice your religion in the way you choose to, and not fear your co-religionists, the religious police, adherents of another religion, or the government.
Peace is the ability to wear what you want, eat what you want, work at the job you want - if the employer wants to hire you - spend your money how you want.
Peace is the ability to say what you want.
Peace is the ability to choose your side, and to choose to fight for it.
Does a ceasefire lead to any of these?
No. Hizb'allah will still be able to attack Israel. Civilians in Israel will still have to worry about rockets from Lebanon or Gaza. Ahmadinejad will still call for the destruction of Israel, as will Hamas, Fatah, and Hizb'allah. Lebanese civilians will still be afraid of Hizb'allah, and careful about what they say.
When your opposition has pledged to destroy you, and is willing to sacrifice themselves, their neighbors, and their children to that cause, peace is not achieved by waiting for them to succeed. Sometimes, peace requires bloodshed.
