Cease-Fire in the Middle East?

Should there be a cease-fire in the Middle East? The pope wants one. French President Chirac wants one. The Lebanese prime minister, the Russians, they all want Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting.

So let's examine this in a fair and balanced way.

We now know that Hezbollah had about 13,000 missiles in southern Lebanon in violation of a United Nations order. We know that because Hezbollah attacked Israel, killing eight of its soldiers and kidnapping two others. This attack was unprovoked. After Israel responded, Hezbollah opened up with its missiles.

In order to make the situation clear, we have to make it personal. You and your family are living in Haifa. The kids go to school. You go to work. You have you a house. You have a normal life.

But just to the north, there's a terror group that has thousands of missiles aimed at your town. Those missiles can be launched at any time for any reason. Do you want your government to stop fighting and allow those missiles to stay in place?

Let's bring it to America. Some Mexican soldiers cross the border tomorrow, kill eight American border patrol agents and kidnap two others. Then the Mexican military announces they have set up thousands of missiles that could blast American cities. Is the American government going to allow that? Of course not. Remember the Cuban missile crisis?

But the pope, Chirac and the others don't seem to care about the Hezbollah missiles or the fact that the U.N. can't get the terror situation under control.

Hezbollah keeps getting stronger because Syria and Iran give the terror group millions of dollars and all the weapons they want.

"Talking Points" is big on simplicity. Who does the cease-fire help? It helps the terrorists, the people who started the latest conflict.

Now if some kind of deal could be made where Hezbollah pulls out of southern Lebanon and gives up its illegal missiles, I say make that deal in a heartbeat. But it's amazing how many people simply will not realize that Hezbollah, Hamas and other terror groups want to kill Jews. They don't want peace.

So over the next few days, you'll be hearing a lot of debate, a lot of hand ringing, a lot of pleas. Just keep in mind one vital truth, just one. Only people who want peace can secure peace.

And that's "The Memo."

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Senator Hillary Clinton continues to rake in the dough, setting up her run for the presidency in 2008. Right now she has more than $22 million in donated campaign funds, according to paperwork released by her office.

Among those giving her money, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock and Owen Wilson.

But there is no truth to the rumor Wilson's new film will get a new title, "You, Me and Hillary." That would be ridiculous.

—You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com