The Israeli public has no appetite for an invasion of Gaza and to sacrifice their sons there. As long as the number of Israeli civilian casualties remains low, the government can refrain from a land offensive. However, it all depends on the wind — if there is a direct hit in a building with a group of children and the Israeli public sees pictures of dead Israeli children, there will be a land operation. One of Israel's large incursions in Lebanon, in 1978, came in the wake of a terrorist attack in which small children were killed and the then Chief of Staff, Rafael Eitan, justified the action by quoting Israel's national poet Haim Nahman Bialik:

"Revenge for the blood of a small child — even the devil has not devised". One might argue that Israel should act according to the Christian principle of turning the other cheek, but it seems that even in the post-modern West, this custom is more honoured in the breach than in the observance. 

Clearly, there is no military solution. No Israeli deludes himself into thinking there is. However, Israeli public opinion is highly influenced by the perception of the partner as truly interested in peace. The dramatic swing from those opposing peace with Egypt to those supporting it after President Sadat's visit to Israel 35 years ago demonstrates that. But as long as Israel sees the aims of Palestinians as the destruction of Israel and targeting civilians, there will be no appetite for the compromises necessary for peace.