Gaza Report from Japan

I watched the news from Gaza on my hotel room television last night here in Matsumoto in the Japanese alps. This was my first view of CNN Japan, which appears quite similar to CNN Europe since it is filled with Brits – Richard Quest doing his international business show, etc. – at least at the hour I was watching. What surprised me was the positive coverage the Israelis were getting from the British commentators. Ariel Sharon, whom they normally dismiss as Attila from the Negev, was being treated like a world statesmen. They had on a Palestinian teenager who evinced some sympathy for the settlers being forced to move from their homes (it was probably hard to find this kid who looked about sixteen and spoke fluent English, but still…). It seems that, for the nonce, the Israelis have made a smart PR move. Where it goes from here is anybody’s guess.