Israel's goals after July 06': Psychological .. to demonstrate to all the Israeli capability & willingness to inflict great damage & casualties

In SicSemperTyrannis, here

...Statements by Livni and Brigadier (Ret.) Hertzog indicate that Israel's goals in Gaza are essentially psychological in that they seek to demonstrate to all the Israeli capability and willingness to inflict great damage and numerous casualties in pursuit of a position of dominance in the ME region. Israel senses correctly that its image as hegemon in the eastern Mediterranean was badly eroded in the period from the Israeli evacuation of south Lebanon through the '06 war and into the present. It now seeks to restore its image of ruthlessness in pursuit of its goals. The belief persists in Israel that enemies can be made into clients through intimidation....