Since Israel has an open society, I tend to side with them. It is not that I think the Israelis are better people; it is just that an open society makes it harder for them to hide their misdeeds.

Often the only solution to a difficult problem involves a great deal of time and patience. This generation of Israelis, Palestinians, Christians, and Muslims and perhaps several more generations may not be able to make peace. The best we may be able to do is to refrain from killing each other. So give President Bush some credit for keeping the Middle East from flying apart at the seams, and let us pray and hope President Obama can do the same.

I asked my friend what he thinks about all this. He teaches several languages, travels a bit and has a broad world-view. He said when he wants to get the real scoop, he watches and listens to the Swiss news because Switzerland is neutral. He says he also listens to CNN and the BBC to try to get some balance. We had a grand chuckle over the cool reporting techniques across the pond, followed by a skit of how reporters from each nation would respond to a bomb. I can’t possibly translate the hilarity here. But since this whole situation is so far from funny, it’s probably best anyway.