We have all been fed the line numerous times how George Bush is the best "friend of Israel" in a US President that Israel has ever had. He, supposedly, gives Israel pretty much a free hand in its security issues, allowing Israel to retaliate to certain situations when no other president was so tolerant.

Whenever people tell me how friendly Bush is to Israel I tell them it is all PR. Public Relations. Good marketing. He is no better than any other president and possibly even worse.

They always scoff at me when I say that and then they cite multiple incidents in which Israel struck at PA militants/terrorists without any objection, and therefore the tacit approval of the US.

I continue and use the Gaza pullout as an example of how Bush is no better than any other president. Only in the time of US President Bush did Israel ever evacuate territory, and so much of it, with nothing in return, all the while throwing a large segment of the population into great turmoil. Now in hindsight one can even add how that led, or at least helped build up to a Hamas takeover of Gaza and subsequently the abduction of soldiers and a two-front war with a resolution that, despite Olmert's statements, was not really all that good for Israel.

They then scoff some more and say, "Bush??!! What are you talking about! That was all Sharon. He did it to save his neck. He was guilty of all sorts of crimes and had to protect himself so he came up with this plan, blah blah blah. And if Israel offered it, how could Bush reject it!! You cannot blame Bush for that."

I always say to that that nothing big here happens without the prodding of the US government. So if the Gaza pullout happened at all, it somehow must have come from Bush. They did not publicize it, but it is in the background somehow.

They laugh and think I am some crazy Democrat.

A book was just published called "The Confidante" by Glen Kessler. It is about Condoleeza Rice and the Bush legacy. I have not read the book yet, but I did recently read a review and a description of the book. I might add that this is not normal the type of book I would read (being it is about George Bush's legacy), but now I find it worth reading just for the sections on the Bush dealings with the Middle East (read: Israel).

The review I read excerpted a small section of the book, just a couple of paragraphs really, on the leadup to the Gaza withdrawal.

I do not have it in front of me so I cannot print the quotes, but I will paraphrase and give over what was said.

The author related an incident in which Bush told Condi he would support efforts to create a Palestinian state. Rice created a channel between Bush and Sharon via Sharon's adviser Dov Weisglass.

The reviewer mentioned a number of incidents; regarding Arafat's muqata and the Israeli siege, the war with Iraq, etc.

The one I found interesting was the one on how Rice was involved in the creation of the Disengagement.

Rice, according to the author, told Weisglass that the Road Map is not good enough. She told Weisglass to go home and come up with a new plan; something that will let the world say, "Look at what Israel has done , and not the Palestinians need to do something."

Weisglass got back to her with a plant o disengage from 3 to 5 settlements. .

Rice said that the US would definitely support such a move but that is not good enough. She said that if Israel wants to change the dynamics and create a new reality, it would have to be the whole Gaza, and nothing less.

Weisglass went back to Sharon and they worked it out and gave Gaza to the Palestinians.

That is how the disengagement came about, at least according to this book, The Confidante.
I knew the US pushed the whole thing. Bush himself might not have been involved much in the details, but he was by proxy of his Sec State.

I think this book is a must read, just to get the details of that story clear.