What is it about Israel?
You know, normally I don't rise to a patriotic defense of the Bush administration when they get a smackdown. For some reason I do have a soft spot in my heart for Condi, despite her lock-step death-march with the other doomed neocons. So, when she has a rough day on the international circuit I tend to be a little more sympathetic.

Still, my visceral response to Olmert's trash talking is a fairly jingoistic WTF??? You can't say that to us!

As far as I can tell, we're the only nation on Earth that has any sympathy at all for Israel anymore, and that sympathy seems a lot more strongly rooted in elected officials who concern themselves with the pro-Israeli vote than it does in actual everyday voters.

So, my question: what is it about Israel that can squander any public opinion advantage arising out of being bombed by terrorists faster even than the Bush administration, and at the same time alienate the hearts and minds of its only ally?

Is it arrogance?

Stupidity?

Some sort of local political necessity that is incomprehensible outside its own borders?

Or are Israeli leaders the same kind of jerks as the Hamas leaders and they should all be cut off from civilized society until they can play nice?