Here's some encouraging news from the Middle East: Agence France-Presse reports that there hasn't been a single suicide bombing within Israel (as distinct from the disputed territories) in more than seven months--to be exact, since Oct. 4, when a Palestinian Arab woman massacred 21 Jews and Arabs at a restaurant in Haifa. AFP attributes the lull to the completion of the northern section of Israel's security barrier, which in particular has blocked access from Qalqilya, "which used to be adjacent to Israeli towns and was often used as a launchpad for West Bank militants."

So will Israel get credit for taking steps to end the cycle of violence? Don't hold your breath. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, though, the United Nations has just endorsed Israel's actions. A U.N. press release last Thursday announces that "the United Nations is set to begin a slate of projects--including the construction [of] a new perimeter fence--to bolster safety and security measures at its New York Headquarters."