Ehud Olmert has so far turned out to be a dramatically pleasant surprise as Israel's leader. "The fighting continues. There is no ceasefire and there will not be any ceasefire in the coming days," Olmert told local officials, drawing sustained applause. The airstrikes continue, and it appears as though Israel is serious this time, more serious than they may have been in many years. It's time we stopped letting the Middle East have the "if Israel does ANYTHING to defend herself, it will polarize our societies and we'll hate you" excuse. Common sense should dictate that those who would hurt us, hate us.