Damian Penny: People look at the conflict in the Middle East, see a well-financed Israeli army with considerably more powerful weaponry than their poorer Palestinian opponents, and conclude that the Israelis must be the oppressors.

He goes on to say some more interesting things.

Per Ken Layne:

But you people made a very serious mistake: you thought Americans (and Israeli doves) would be charmed by your suicide bombers. Well, buddy, not only were we not charmed, we're still digging up bodies from the suicide-bomber attacks against our nation. And we remember the happy Palestinians dancing in the streets on Sept. 11.

This is actually a response to a mailbag item, which is also worth reading.

Michael Gove in The Times of London: Qualified optimism in Afghanistan and Iraq should not, however, detract from the pessimism one must feel when surveying the real front line in the West’s war. For Terrorism is winning in the Middle East.

Some people feel that the suicide bombers are the problem -- if the Palenstinians are taken seriously, they will get the message that it works to do this. Everyone agrees this would be a disaster, not just for right now, but for all time.

Thomas Friedman in the NY Times (requires free registration):Have you ever heard Mr. Arafat talk about what sort of education system or economy he would prefer, what sort of constitution he wants? No, because Mr. Arafat is not interested in the content of a Palestinian state, only the contours.

No one will give up Jerusalem...like I said yesterday.

James Taranto in Opinion Journal: It's hard to see how Israel is supposed to find a "political solution" with the Palestinian Authority, which, if the reports coming out of Ramallah are to be believed, is little more than a vast criminal enterprise.

The great thing about Taranto is that I almost always disagree with *him* because he blindly supports the president with no seeming application of logic. Yesterday, he finally found some disagreement with Bush.

We have to help Israel. It's more important to do it now than it ever has been. All the money we've poured into their defense over the years could be justified if it helps us actually end the lunacy perpetrated by Muslim fanatics.