JERUSALEM — “All of these correspondents,” Israeli Defense Forces spokeswoman Avital Leibovich notes, referring to the hundreds of reporters, photographers, and producers from world press organizations stationed in Jerusalem, “are not here to report on Tel Aviv’s beaches or the wineries of Judea and Samaria. They are here to report the conflict.” True. And because conflict equals news, lack of conflict usually equals neglect. Things are far from peachy in this region — and yet, the quiet itself ought to be news — a welcome respite from the usual tension, fear, and grief. The year 2010 recorded the smallest number of Israelis killed by terror attacks (nine) in a decade, with 28 wounded.

By contrast, between 2000 and 2006, during the Second Intifada, 1,100 Israelis were killed by suicide bombers and thousands more were wounded. With buses, pizzerias, and department stores exploding on an almost weekly basis, the entire nation was weighted down with dread.