"The Enemy of Your Enemy is Your Friend"

Now, that's something you don't see every day. The Arab League is sending representatives to Israel to discuss "a sweeping Arab peace initiative."

I'd be more impressed, if I hadn't been reading about plans for a "lasting peace in the Middle East" most of my life. I also remember the Six Day War and read about the Arab League's 1948 declaration of war on Israel.

(I try to give online references when possible, but this time it was a bit challenging to find something pallatable for the general online population, but still mildly objective. I settled for references that seemed only slightly into the it's-Israel's-fault camp.)

Not to seem pessimistic, but it would be very remarkable if a resolution between the descendants of Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Israel, came within my lifetime. In fact, that 37-century-old family feud shows little evidence of being ready to end.

Still, the Arab League's move is impressive. As USA Today reported, The Arab League "historically has been hostile toward the Jewish state," but has been getting a trifle more friendly "given the expanding influence of Islamic extremists in the region — a concern underscored by Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last month."

Good for the Arab League. Even if they're only following the adage, "the enemy of your enemy is your friend," they're showing good sense.