The weekend arrives with the world surely aware that terrorism and militant Islamic behaviour have us all under the gun.
Only if we're prepared to stand by and put up with them.
Israel have decided to take the fight to Hezbollah.
Even the Saudi Arabian government has argued that Hezbollah bears "full responsibility for...ending the crisis."
And for those who criticise Israel's response, I wonder what they would say if a foreign enemy started dropping artillery shells into Balmain or Collingwood.
The reality is the defeat of Hezbollah would be a victory for us all.
The one concern is that the forthcoming peace trip to the Middle East by Condoleezza Rice, could force a premature ceasefire which would prevent the kind of decisive military outcome against Hezbollah that would secure the interests of Israel, Lebanon, moderate Arabs and the West.
But one further issue was raised in a piece earlier this month in the Jerusalem Post which quoted the Secretary of the Vatican's Supreme Court.
It referred to Muslims.
Explaining the rejection of Jesus' admonition to his followers to turn the other cheek. Monsignor De Paolis argued, "The West has had relations with the Arab countries for half a century...and has not been able to get the slightest concession on human rights".
The piece argued that Christians increasingly find themselves an embattled minority. In countries under Muslim rule.
Monsignor de Paolis argued, "Despised and distrusted second clbutt citizens facing discrimination in education, jobs and the courts."
This is the Secretary of the Vatican's Supreme Court referring to Muslims.
He argued, "Christian populations of the Muslim world are in free fall".
And he said, "For the first time in nearly 2 millennia, Nazareth and Bethlehem no longer have Christian majorities. He said that this has led to the Catholic Church, "For the first time pointing to radical Islam rather than the actions of Israel as the central problem facing Christians living with Muslims."
The Vatican equivalent of Foreign Minister, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, was quoted in the same article as saying in 2003, "There are too many majority Muslim countries where non-Muslims are second clbutt citizens.
He said, "Just as Muslims can build their houses of prayer anywhere in the world, the faithful of other religions should be able to do so as well."
The Jerusalem Post quoted the Rector of the Lateran University in Rome advising the Catholic Church, to drop "Diplomatic Silence" and instead put pressure on international organisations to make the societies and states in majority Muslim countries face up to their responsibilities.
The Jerusalem Post article by Daniel Pipes argued that attaining the same rights for Christians in Islamdom that Muslims enjoy in Christendom has become the key to the Vatican's diplomacy towards Muslims.
Well these issues are at the heart of the Middle East conflict today.
Moderate Arabs and Christians in Lebanon are sick to rest of Hezbollah.
And Hezbollah equally has little sympathy for Lebanon.
By attacking Israel, Hezbollah invited a red-blooded reaction.
It got one.
No nation can sit back watching missiles fall down on its territory.
The majority of Lebanese, Christian, Druze, Sunni Muslim and secular, bitterly resent the country being turned into a war zone.
But the words of the Secretary of the Vatican Supreme Court resonate with everybody, "The West has had relations with Arab countries for half a century...and has not been able to get the slightest concession on human rights".
At least at week's end, the West seems to be waking up.
Petzl -- Islam pagan horror cult of the Moon God
