Caroline Glick has a good run-down on some of the current trends in the region and takes her government to task for failing to recognize and act on them now and in the past. Highly recommended, as always.

Israel News : Jerusalem Post Internet Edition - Column One: The vision thing

As far as negotiations with Syria go, I have to imagine that no one on the Israeli side, particularly in a Likud government, expects it amounts to anything more than show. That's not that I think the Israelis can't be serious, it's just that they have way too much experience to think that there's likely anything to be gained from a negotiation with a regime like Syria's. No more than there would be in cutting deals with Arafat, Kim Jong Il or the former regime of Sadam Hussein. Experience indicates these entities have so littel credibility it is virtually impossible for any but the most gullible to enter into a contractual situation.