Okay, I hear you!

Several readers have written to me privately and chastised me for speaking in disparaging terms ("dictator") about Hosni Mubarak, who for more than 30 years has been an important ally of the State of Israel.

Point taken. You're right—it's true.

It's also true that his departure—dictator or not—could radically alter the already-delicate political balance of the region.

The big unknown at this point is what will replace the Mubarak regime if it falls.

Mubarak has walked a fine line for years between his alliance with the Israelis and his need to maintain ties with the Arab world. Any way you slice it, such a feat cannot be easy. But somehow he has managed to do it.

Here's a pretty good summary of the finer nuances of this issue from The New York Times: click here

Thanks to our friend Jonathan Watson in Virginia for the heads-up on the Times article.