Hamas, by drawing the Israelis into playing the heavy handed bully, has built stronger support among the Palestinian people.
Israel, by raising the chaos, the instability of the region may be helping out George Bush, it's ultra-permissive "parental" figure who lets it do whatever it wants. More chaos in the middle east raises the fear factor, as Fox News shows scarey scenes. Bush thrives on an environment loaded with fear. If Israel gets the Iranians involved, it will have handed Condi and Donald Rumsfeld what they've been wanting on a silver platter, and Bush will be able to declare that you don't change horses in midstream.
Bush builds street cred with the 15-20% of American Jews who vote republican. He sets the fans of the Left Behind series saliva flowing as they see the increased chaos as sign that the rapture is coming closer and closer, as the big conflagration leading to armageddon looms ever closer.
The religious right gets it's payoff because its rapture-dreamers feel like they are getting closer to seeing the end of the world, and the death or suffering of people who don't believe like them.
Who loses? People who want peace-- the average Palestinians, Lebanese, and Israelis.
Who remains too silent? American Jews who are horrified by what they see.
