While no one was looking, democracies around the world have begun warming up to, and even embracing, Israel.

No Israeli could have failed to notice the radical change in weather over the past two months. Forecasters predicted another dry winter, and fortunately they turned out to be wrong. And while Israel is still suffering from a water shortage, for the moment the situation is not as dire as we had thought.

But has anyone noticed that there is another change on the horizon, one that has confounded the prophets of doom? Slowly but surely, it is becoming apparent that the international political climate in Israel is far better than had been predicted, and it seems to be getting better all the time.

Last week the Canadian foreign minister, John Baird, announced during a visit to Israel that Israel has no better friend than Canada. "Ottawa", he said, "stands for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is popular, convenient or expedient." Baird added, "Israel is a beacon of light in a region that craves freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."

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