ISRAEL

• Roger Simon leads the way by asking if the Second Palestinian Intifada is over... Magic 8 Ball says signs point to Maybe. Consider this - Israel in 2004 to date has suffered only 10% of the suicide bombings that happened in 2003; the overall level of violence is down 70%; even Jenin has a nightlife. Just goes to show ya, two truisms are proven true - cut off the snake's head to kill the snake, and good fences make good neighbors.

• After years of trying, Hamas-made Qassam rockets killed two toddlers outside their nursery school in Sderot. Sharon visited the southern Israeli city to determine what sort of retaliation would be appropriate, and was almost hit himself. If past is prologue, then no doubt Palestinians sympathetic to Hamas' actions are even now celebrating the great victory by dressing their children up as tiny little terrorists.

• Sadly, Israel's First Lady of Song, Naomi Shemer, has died at age 74. Ironically, one of her many popular folk songs was titled "Atzuv Li Lamut Be'emzta Tammuz" (I am Sad to Die in the Middle of Tammuz") - the current Hebrew month is Tammuz.

• On a more hopeful note, Israel is reaching out to the rest of the Middle East by continuing to directly support the Iraqi Kurds and by initiating a request for diplomatic ties with Iraq.

• Inside Israel, Suzan Debini's Arabic language radio show Bisraha (Speaking Honestly) on Israel Radio offers an open mike to the often invisible Israeli Arabs to discuss their lives and controversial issues such as honor killings.

• Weirdly, a 64-year-old woman gave birth in Israel recently. It's probably not the most efficient way for Israel to win the demographic war.

THE PALESTINIANS

• Arafat's at it again with the pre-emptive weasel strike - says the titular head of the Palestinian Authority of the upcoming Olympic Games in Greece, "Let's not repeat 1972." If I were to bet in human lives, I'd bet an offshoot of al-Aqsa or some such gang of cockroaches claims responsibility for at least one bombing during the Games, now that Arafat's officially distanced himself from such actions for the duration.

• I wonder if vultures around the world actually whisper French fairy tales to their eggs before they hatch? Angering Israel and many others in the international community who hold the consensus that Arafat has been a constant obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is to meet with Arafat in Ramallah and discuss his country's participation in a future 'international presence' in Gaza. Russia long ago called shotgun on that gravy train.

• Al-Aqsa Brigades head Zubeidi announces that he's ready to call a ceasefire once Israeli troops and Jewish settlers withdraw from Jenin. Zubeidi fails to extend the ceasefire agreement to allow an Israeli troop presence on any street next to Jenin, or going to Jenin, or from Jenin, or within spitting distance of Jenin. Assume the ceasefire is temporary.

SYRIA & LEBANON

• Radio Free Syria is in da house!

• Like father, like son - Bashar al-Assad claims that the presence of Syrian troops in Lebanon is temporary, and that those sweet and helpful Syrian soldiers will pack up their arbitrary checkpoints, take their toys and all of Lebanon's cotton crop, and go home once a final Mideast peace settlement is reached.

• If I play my cards right and name that bomber, erm, martyr on Hizbollah's new game show "The Mission", I just might be able to buy my way into their version of heaven on earth - Jerusalem.

JORDAN & EGYPT

• Leading by progressive example, Jordan's controversial young King Abdullah II insists Western efforts to help promote political and economic reform across the Arab world should not be seen as blow to Islam, and that Arab reform must emerge from within.

• He has also granted his wife, Queen Rania, the honorary rank of colonel in the Jordanian armed forces. You go, boy!

• Praktike comments: Did you know that King Abdullah and his foxy wife both have glamorous websites? It's a little bizarre, frankly. Who is the intended audience? And when will he get a blog? (JK: Actually, Noor was his father's wife, so you can be even more impressed).

• Rumors of Egyptian President Mubarak's death were greatly exaggerated - he's expected home soon after having surgery to repair a slipped disk in Germany. Most of Egypt got nervous anyway.

• American tax dollars at work raising the standard of living in the third world... a United States Senate-approved 300 million-dollar aid package was freed up in Cairo to compensate Egypt for losses to their tourist revenue due to the US-led invasion of Iraq.

• Too bad the Egyptian government doesn't support the sale of free speech... Egypt's religious authority al-Azhar raided bookstores and newsstands confiscating publications willy-nilly for not conforming to their interpretation of Islam. Hey, I paid taxes last year. Can I buy a vowel?