Thanks for an excellent post. You are likely to get considerable grief for it.
I know, however, I had to say my piece.
I am very supportive of Israel and all other Freedom loving nations like the UK, France, India, Italy, Ireland, Canada etc.
However, it bothers me when one is asked here on FR to accept something a 100%. "Everything that Israel does is good!". Horsecrap! I am a proud American and I don't even think everything we do as a country is a 100% good.
Israel is a modern day success story with much to be proud of. They are a beacon of freedom in the awful Middle East. But like ANY other nation, they have made mistakes. The mark of a mature nation is to have the strength to acknowledge mistakes. One of the big reasons I do NOT respect Russia is that it still has not apologized for the great destruction they wreaked upon Eastern Europe. They basically destroyed those countries for eternity. Most of them are now in a demographic drain-hole of extinction with no hope of climbing out.
Let us be proud of a strong and free Israel but let us not turn into idol worshipers by blindly supporting everything. God gave us a brain. Let us use it.
Flame away!