As Claude Rains of Casablanca fame might put it, we?re shocked ? shocked! ? that U.S. President George W. Bush is two-faced.
In the past several months, Israelis and Jewish supporters in America had embraced Bush as their best friend in the ?Lower 48.? Jewish hardliners and even Jewish centrists who have moved to the right were looking seriously at voting for him in 2004. Several months ago, Jonathan S. Tobin, the editor of my town?s weekly Jewish newspaper, ended a column declaring that Bush can be ?trusted? in his support of Israel. In the June 5 Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, Tobin wrote, ?I was troubled by his published assertion that Israel?s prime minister ?owed? him concessions at the peace table.?
I wonder what he?ll write after Bush?s rebuke of Israel because of its targeted attack on Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a top leader of the militant group Hamas on Tuesday. Rantisi survived it. One diplomat called the attack ?a slap in the face for Bush,? according to the New York Times. Bush himself said, ?I am troubled by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks. I regret the loss of innocent life. I?m concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I also don?t believe the attacks help the Israeli security.?
Of course, this is a president who would not let anyone block his path to invade Iraq. He has ignored complaints of civilian deaths and he has not objected when the northern Kurds evicted Arabs from their homes.
Many Israelis are becoming more enraged by the day ? first the ?road map,? then the prospect of dismantled settlements, Bush?s criticism of the Rantisi incident, and now, especially, the Jerusalem bus bombing, which took at least 16 lives.
A large segment of Americans would not be surprised at Bush?s unexpected turnaround. I have been following him for three-and-a-half years now. He is the most mercurial president in my lifetime, whose credo might be that the ends justify the means. He does not hesitate to alter stands, change his story or switch alliances, whenever it is most expedient. Bush has even antagonized other Republicans, who accused him of withholding intelligence information. Governors and mayors are livid over economic policies that are bleeding many states and cities of needed services.
Just view his changes over Israel and Jews. During the early 2000 primaries, Bush tolerated an anti-Semitic campaign ploy in which supporters called South Carolinians and alerted them that a key backer of his opponent, Sen. John McCain, is Jewish. When former Sen. Warren Rudman ? the Jewish McCain supporter in question ? confronted Bush aide Karl Rove about it, Rove brushed it off. During the Florida recount, Bush supporters spent the afternoon of December 2 demonstrating in front of Senator Joseph Lieberman?s home in New Haven, Connecticut ? it was a Sabbath.
In May 2000 and onward, Bush appeared before right-leaning Jewish groups and pledged support for their positions. Yet, in mid-October, he convinced some Arab-Americans to support him, including those in Michigan, Florida and New Jersey. Most Arab leaders were vague about their reasons, but an Arab newspaper editor in Dearborn, Michigan, was honest enough to express his fear that a White House with a Jewish vice president ? namely, Lieberman ? would favor Israel.
Bush was endorsed not only by an Arab-American group in Michigan, but also by the conservative Jewish Press out of Brooklyn.
Once Bush took office, Arabs were aghast at Bush?s unwavering support for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon?s tactics. That same Dearborn editor described my president as ?arrogant.? Now, many Jews think Bush is selling them out, while Arabs are heartened by his support for the ?road map?.
What Bush does next is anyone?s guess. It helps if Israel?s position benefits Bush more than the Arabs can.
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Bruce Ticker is a freelance writer and former journalist living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at brucetic@aol.com.
In the past several months, Israelis and Jewish supporters in America had embraced Bush as their best friend in the ?Lower 48.? Jewish hardliners and even Jewish centrists who have moved to the right were looking seriously at voting for him in 2004. Several months ago, Jonathan S. Tobin, the editor of my town?s weekly Jewish newspaper, ended a column declaring that Bush can be ?trusted? in his support of Israel. In the June 5 Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, Tobin wrote, ?I was troubled by his published assertion that Israel?s prime minister ?owed? him concessions at the peace table.?
I wonder what he?ll write after Bush?s rebuke of Israel because of its targeted attack on Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a top leader of the militant group Hamas on Tuesday. Rantisi survived it. One diplomat called the attack ?a slap in the face for Bush,? according to the New York Times. Bush himself said, ?I am troubled by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks. I regret the loss of innocent life. I?m concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I also don?t believe the attacks help the Israeli security.?
Of course, this is a president who would not let anyone block his path to invade Iraq. He has ignored complaints of civilian deaths and he has not objected when the northern Kurds evicted Arabs from their homes.
Many Israelis are becoming more enraged by the day ? first the ?road map,? then the prospect of dismantled settlements, Bush?s criticism of the Rantisi incident, and now, especially, the Jerusalem bus bombing, which took at least 16 lives.
A large segment of Americans would not be surprised at Bush?s unexpected turnaround. I have been following him for three-and-a-half years now. He is the most mercurial president in my lifetime, whose credo might be that the ends justify the means. He does not hesitate to alter stands, change his story or switch alliances, whenever it is most expedient. Bush has even antagonized other Republicans, who accused him of withholding intelligence information. Governors and mayors are livid over economic policies that are bleeding many states and cities of needed services.
Just view his changes over Israel and Jews. During the early 2000 primaries, Bush tolerated an anti-Semitic campaign ploy in which supporters called South Carolinians and alerted them that a key backer of his opponent, Sen. John McCain, is Jewish. When former Sen. Warren Rudman ? the Jewish McCain supporter in question ? confronted Bush aide Karl Rove about it, Rove brushed it off. During the Florida recount, Bush supporters spent the afternoon of December 2 demonstrating in front of Senator Joseph Lieberman?s home in New Haven, Connecticut ? it was a Sabbath.
In May 2000 and onward, Bush appeared before right-leaning Jewish groups and pledged support for their positions. Yet, in mid-October, he convinced some Arab-Americans to support him, including those in Michigan, Florida and New Jersey. Most Arab leaders were vague about their reasons, but an Arab newspaper editor in Dearborn, Michigan, was honest enough to express his fear that a White House with a Jewish vice president ? namely, Lieberman ? would favor Israel.
Bush was endorsed not only by an Arab-American group in Michigan, but also by the conservative Jewish Press out of Brooklyn.
Once Bush took office, Arabs were aghast at Bush?s unwavering support for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon?s tactics. That same Dearborn editor described my president as ?arrogant.? Now, many Jews think Bush is selling them out, while Arabs are heartened by his support for the ?road map?.
What Bush does next is anyone?s guess. It helps if Israel?s position benefits Bush more than the Arabs can.
--------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Ticker is a freelance writer and former journalist living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at brucetic@aol.com.