CEASE-FIRE...

... is good. We'll see what happens next and how long it lasts.
Yes, the jury's still out and what was gained and what was lost. Many questions still remain. Is there a clear victor? Not sure. Ethan Bronner of the New York Times raises some legitimate doubts here, and I think paints a very accurate picture of the situation now.

What will be interesting now is the damage control after Gaza is open to journalists and international media. Bronner picks up a rarely heard voice of a Palestinian lamenting the destuction of her house and actually arriving at the realization that this was brought on by Hamas!

What was interesting about the war, was that the international media was all about its usual antics of attacking Israel's perceived disproportional attack and severe collateral damage while most Israelis acquiesce to a shrug and bowed head over the loss of innocent people, while never doubting for a second the legitimacy of the mission.

What I also found interesting, was the virtual silence I heard from my friends. The only communication I had with people from the 'old country' were Q&A correspondents with people that I've never met and my mom. No one wrote or called to say "Hey, I hear there's a war over there." Maybe it's because it's nothing new over here, or maybe (and this is the theory that I subscribe to) because it's simply not on their radar screen. It could also be because they just don't want to get into it with me, or are tired of talking or hearing about it, or just don't know what to say, but what can ya do.


I mentioned in an e-mail to many that Steve Erlanger's article was very good and that he interviewed Maj. Jacob Dallal (a Chicago native) as Jacob and I were driving back from a miluim tour of Sderot. Cool huh.