Many Israelis are taking out papers for a backup citizenship in case they want to get out quick. Germany.

Which is in the process of raising the minimum age for gun ownership from 18 to 21.

Bush is talking about “interim” Palestinian statehood. Without actual borders or anything concrete on paper. Talk about declaring peace and going home.

In their respective parliamentary elections today, the Czech Republic moved nicely to the left, but France to the right, although not the far right--Le Pen’s National Front looks like ending up with zero seats. The fear of fascism disappeared awfully quickly in France, and the elections had a very low turnout (though still above American standards, of course), indicating that once the initial threat was over, no one made any attempts to engage the French public with the political system. Once again, apathy is the political elite’s friend, and everybody please go back to sleep again, nothing to see here....