Just a couple of random items out of Israel:

• "'Miracle' baby born in Bethlehem (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1031202/asp/foreign/story_2634221.asp)" (The Telegraph)
A baby born in Bethlehem is drawing crowds by the thousands . . . .

. . . . The boy has gained attention for being born with a large birthmark across his cheek that roughly forms in Arabic letters the name of his uncle, Ala, a Hamas militant killed by Israeli troops after he was alleged to have planned a suicide bombing . . . .

. . . . The Israeli army declined comment but a security source said: “It sounds very freaky”.Meanwhile, on this side of the pond, the New York Post covers the same story under the headline,"Bethlehem Baby's Mark of a Beast (http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/12336.htm)."

http://www.nypost.com/photos/news12020308.jpg (http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/12336.htm)
Mark of a Beast? "'MIRACLE'? Birthmark allegedly spells terror uncle's name." (NY Post/Reuters (http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/12336.htm))


• See also: "Palestinian baby born in Bethlehem draws crowds (http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters12-01-090957.asp?reg=MIDEAST)" (MSNBC)

And this image from the BBC's The Day in Pictures:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39555000/jpg/_39555200_handshake200ap.jpg (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3256068.stm)
A fine, fine day: "An elderly Palestinian man shakes the hand of an Israeli soldier on a street in the West Bank town of Hebron." (BBC/AP (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3256068.stm))

Maybe this should be a Free Thought ... I dunno. I suspect there's an issue in there somewhere.

There is a subtle but striking contrast, I guess.

Indeed a land of contrasts.

an Iraqi family (Muslim) came to Israel last week to have their newly born baby undergo a surgery in Israel to correct a heart defect.

im too lazy to look up a link