Many have said Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Gaza outweigh the provocation. While most decry Hezbollah?s cross- border kidnapping of two Israeli reservists patrolling the Israeli border, the sight of Israel shelling and dropping bombs on southern Lebanon seems like unfair collective punishment for the actions of a few.

But Israel?s current actions in Lebanon, and in the Gaza Strip, are only peripherally related to the kidnapping earlier this month. What these operations are really about is restoring Israel?s credibility.