Several people sent me this link from an Egyptian newspaper which describes Jenin as the "City of the Bombers" where the "fighters" staged a proud last stand. I thought that it went without saying that Jenin was the site of fierce fighting between the IDF and Hamas/Jihad/Fatah folk who vowed to fight to the end. That's why the IDF lost 23 soldiers there - much more than in the fighting any place else. But apparently, this was news to many - including Sarge. Maybe I should write something about "things that go without saying to most Israelis".

Here is an editorial from the left-wing Haaretz about reactions to Jenin. Two good essays by Israeli academics: this one describes why aid agencies the Palestinian agencies are often mouthpieces for the PA. This one by Mark Heller tries to understand the background to European policies on current events here.

To the people who thought I sounded anxious on Friday - thanks for the kind emails.