Natan Scharansky, former Israeli cabinet member and world-famous dissident, said in an interview:
“Ariel Sharon would not have responded this strongly because he was so concerned with changing his image, and while Bibi would have done exactly the same thing as Olmert is, half of the country would have been protesting about what the ‘monster’ is doing.”
Interviewer Joel Mowbray commented:
Choosing his words as he stirred his breakfast shake, Sharanksy suggested that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with his center-left coalition, is perhaps the only leading figure capable of a muscular response to Hamas and Hezbollah that enjoy overwhelming public support. He seems almost relieved when he says, “This is a unique moment of unity.”
Scharansky said that Hezbollah never expected Israel to respond as it did. This short article is well-worth reading.