Your conclusions are wrong because you cannot conflate Lebanon and Gaza. Lebanon is a real country which has had for much of it's history a real government which actually cares about the country and it's citizens.
There is no country called Gaza, and there has never been a government of Gaza. Gaza is currently being ruled by a group which are not 'government' but rather are terrorists. Hamas receives aid from many sources. None of this money is spent on Gaza or the people of Gaza. What they do not steal outright, they spend on weapons.
Lebanon has infrastructure. Gaza does not. They have not built a fresh water system. They have not built a sewer system. They have not built anything except terror tunnels, missiles, and suicide bombs. What I am saying is that there is nothing in Gaza to destroy. All of those schools and hospitals people like you are talking about were built by the U.N., not by anyone in Gaza.
And after the U.N. built these, Hamas immediately started using them as bunkers, ammo depots, and firing stations.
I do not know you, or your religion, or how you feel about Israel or Jews, and I don't care. But your posts on the subject frequently reflect a false reality which has been constructed by Hamas and it's allies, which is an opposite reality from what is really happening.
First, thank you for your thoughts. Passions run high .... and you've been gracious.
I agree Gaza is not Lebanon. I may not have been clear, but that was not my point. Mentioning Lebanon was a way of introducing when the Dihiya Doctrine saw the light of day--not to present Gaza as a sovereign nation.
Of course I agree Gaza has not spent "wisely" (to say the least) for water and sewer systems. Anger causes more than ulcers. It causes dreadful decisions and feeds hate.
But to say Gaza hasn't an infrastructure is misleading. The inhabitants of Gaza have homes, schools, hospitals, houses of worship, power plants, marketplaces. While these meager conditions are infuriating as deplorable, this is their infrastructure, and is certainly something to destroy.
So the Dihiya Doctrine still applies, IM(most)HO.
I do not bring this up to defend Hamas. I bring it up to explain the reasons for what the world is calling Israel's "disproportionate" use of force in Gaza and help explain Israeli attacks as part of an overall strategy.
I think the strategy is brilliant. Once. Maybe twice. After that, I believe the strategy becomes self-defeating.
As for me, I am a Christian-American. I hold strongly that Israel has the right to defend herself. I place that atop my deeper belief that Israel has the right to live in peace. My fear is that the two are becoming mutually exclusive.
Cyclical wars do not end fighting. Cyclical wars cannot go on forever. Even the Dihiya Doctrine cannot change these truths.
And world opinion matters. It counts. Right now in the world, especially Europe, the fuse leading to anti-Israel sanctions--and worse--is about to be lit. I'd like to snuff that out before it becomes a flame. I'm asking for suggestions. What other than cyclical war will truly help Israel?
I ask because I worry that in the long-term Israel is not winning.
So... that's my reply to your gracious post. Now I'm going to have a very late dessert (with lots of ice cream) and not talk about war, or "immigration" or suing the president, or the Ebola virus.
But I will be back tomorrow to further discuss.
Thanks...and enjoy the rest of the evening.