I'm writing from a hostel next to jaffa gate, in the old city of jerusalem. While I write the muezzin from the nearby mosque is calling the faithful to prayer.

Being here in Israel has driven home to me a few basic facts: the intifada is truly over. There haven't been any suicide bombings in a while, probably thanks to the wall, and the worst of the tension is over. A few qassam missiles shot from Gaza are never going to constitute a serious threat to israel.

The biggest military effort the Palestinians could muster to fight israel has failed. The state of israel has shown that it is a strong and solid nation, and there has been no mass exodus of jews, like anti-israeli propaganda has led some people into believing.

Israel will live forever, thanks to the resilience and determination of its inhabitants, and the arab world needs to realize this once and for all.