Well said, and pretty comprehensive. Your point about how the Muslim world mistreats its citizens touches on a theme in an upcoming article of mine on modernity vs medievalism in this conflict.

I'd just point out, though, that you're begging the question a little when you say Israel was defending itself. I was struck by how the Iranian minister responded at the UN, casting Hamas as the self-defender, as a "resistance movement" reacting to Israeli "occupation" and "war crimes." Which side was acting in self-defense is just another way of asking my question: Which side is David and which is Goliath?