Tel Aviv

I landed in Tel Aviv today and spent tonight checking out the popular protests that have been in the news. It was interesting, after having seen Tahrir Square in February, how some of the protesters here in Tel Aviv are consciously aping the Arab Spring protests. ("Irhal!" read one sign in Arabic, and underneath, in Hebrew, "Egypt is Here."*)

I suspect I will have more observations to relate over the next few days, and most of the questions I have for policy-makers here concern, naturally enough, the security situation along the Blue Line. But for now, let me just say how cool it was to see Israeli civil society alive, well and in full voice tonight.

*Special thanks to Jason Reich of "War is Boring" fame for serving as my translator tonight.