"Barry...Do you not think a "proxy" strike by Israel is likely?"

No, I think if Israel struck Iran it would bring down the rest of the Arab/Moslum world on there head & I think that they know it & won't risk it even if the US would back their play. They can strike at a few of the small nations that internally in a constant state of upheaval & get away with it but not with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt or some of the other big boys.
I don't think Israel is in the danger it profess to be in but wants the world to see it that way & uses it as an excuse to weld it's will as it wants (with the US backing it of course). If Isreal decieded that it wanted to live in harmony in the region I don't think that they'd get much flack from the rest of the world nor from their own backyard, as long as it truly meant it. But if it wants to keep flexing it's biceptsthen they can go on living with the hate that they surround themselves with. Just like the US is doing, no wonder they such close buds, there's realy no difference twix the 2.

"Do you care how the rest of the world sees your political system?"

Ya, sadly to the world it looks like shit from the inside & the outside & I see it that way too! I don't see that it'll change to quickly either.

Barry