138 countries now recognize Palestine as a state

That news must hurt when you're a dyed-in-the-wool Israel-firster.

Avigdor Lieberman wasted no time trashing Sweden for becoming number 138.

Statehood can only come as the result of negotiations between the relevant parties, according to Lieberman. Of course! And another 50 years of negotiations will see the entire West Bank populated by Israeli settlers... and the Palestinian state will consist of... Gaza?

Not that this "recognition" means much of anything. The fact that Sweden is the first serious EU member to take this step perhaps bodes well for a future recognition by the big dogs like France and Germany, but under their present administrations they seem too busy implementing Washington's agenda vis-a-vis Islamic State and Ukraine to show much of an independent streak.

All this means for the time being is that PA bigwigs will be put up in better hotels on their interminable international travels, at least when they touch down in Sweden.

At the same time, when 138 countries, representing close to 90% of the world's population, recognize what Israel refuses to recognize, perhaps the writing is on the wall.