Meretz MK Yossi Beilin labeled the speech by American President George W. Bush to the Knesset Thursday "embarrassing, a shame and a scandal." He charged that the president laced his words with "a collection of slogans…in order to be nice to Israel...and to steer well clear of anything concrete."

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the speech focused on Israel's 60th anniversary as a modern state and was "not meant to be a kitchen-sink speech."