I know, everyone has heard that Israel claims it won the war against Hezbollah, and Syria and Iran both claim Hezbollah won the war. George Bush gives Israel the victory and the Arab people seem to give it to Hezbollah, but I wonder, who really won and lost here?

Did Israel achieve its objectives? Not Yet.

Did Hezbollah gets its prisoner swap? Not Yet.

Did Lebanon suffer serious damage & death? Yes

Did Israelis end the Rocket Attacks? No.

On that basis who won? Who Lost?

For me, a Jew, I think that it is Jews & Muslims that lost this latest battle in a 58 year struggle. We saw some determination by Hezbollah and frustration by Israel and yet are we one step closer to a real peace? Open warfare still exists in Palestine and Gaza and is inching closer again in Southern Lebanon.

We see an international community that talks a good game but when push comes to shove, they cower in their backrooms, once more missing out on a chance to make a real difference. That by the way includes Canada.

The real losers here are Jews outside of Israel and Muslims outside the Middle East. Some will look at the Jews and think that they are cruel and blood thirsty for their assault on poor Lebanon. Muslims will be looked at with suspicion given how so many in the Arab world support a terrorist group like Hezbollah.

People will worry that if Israel can’t knock out these Terrorists, what chance do they have? And again the looks at their Muslim neighbours will grow and we will see more erosion of civil rights all in the name of self preservation.

There used to be a time when you could tell the Good Guy from the Bad Guy but today those lines are blurred. You see endless accounts of Hezbollah giving out cash to the bombed out people and you wonder, ‘these are terrorists?’ and you start to question yourself a bit. You see bombed out buildings and hear how Amnesty International accuses Israel of War Crimes and you start to question a bit more.

You hear how Syria considers a United Nations Peace Force in Southern Lebanon as an Act of Aggression, and you question yourself again. You listen to the news reports as the death toll of US Soldiers grows closer to 2600 and again you question it all. Hell a large number of Americans think that the war in Iraq isn’t even about Terrorists.

Perhaps they are right, as what is a Terrorist today could very well be the next government of that nation tomorrow. I mean look, Hamas is the government of Palestine, and its the SECOND TERROR GROUP to hold such a distinction. I mean Jimmy Carter made Yassar Arafat a leader and now we have the current President describing the fight in the Middle East as one of Democracy against Fanatic Islamic Fascists.

Again, the Muslims are the ones who lose out. They get the strange looks and in seeing it, do they smile or do they turn the other cheek, while in their heart they plot the downfall of the West?

Damned if I know, but if it was me, I’d not be a happy camper. Terrorists come in all shades, all races, and all nationalities. Osama is a Saudi, does that automatically make All Saudis Terrorists?

Remember the Munich Massacre during the Olympics? The perpetrators weren’t Muslims, they were good Germans. How about Entebbe? They weren’t all Muslims either and how about Idi AMin? He sure as hell wasn’t a Muslim, so why is it today that when we attack the Terrorists we insure to note they are Muslim?

Consider this one fact, a shame really that Canada is also to blame for. That is that during WWII we interned Japanese who were citizens of our country. We held the notion that they were a threat to National Security, but why didn’t we intern any of the German or Italian citizens too? Why didn’t we take their land and businesses?

To me, the loser in this latest battle is peace, and Muslims. I think that Jews also suffer, though less than our Muslim brothers. I think that we in the west don’t settle this conflict because it is about Race, not about land, not about heritage, not about oil even, but about Race.