Watch the important short documentary, just released, called Echoes of a Shofar, which tells the story of the brave Israeli teenagers who defiantly blew shofar at the Western Wall at Yom Kippur’s end – during the British Mandate years, when it was illegal to do so. A reminder why Israel should never relinquish control of Jerusalem’s Old City.

The widely held presumption that splitting Jerusalem will lead to prosperity for the city and to peace for Jews and Arabs is an egregious error. Partitioning Jerusalem will destroy the city. It will die, in every way – culturally, religiously, economically and more. And it will turn into a Belfast-style battlefield.

Is it any wonder that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited Washington davka when Congress was out of session?

If His Royal Solicitude, King Abdullah, really wanted to lead the Arab world towards peace with Israel, he could find a way or two to express his “moderation” more clearly and make things happen. But no. The sang-froid Saudis always seem to hew to a self-serving p.r. minimum.

Congress should hint to Mubarak that there are costs to Egyptian bellicosity towards Israel.