President Bush in Israel

Dozens were injured but it could’ve been worse. This crude rocket lobbed out of Gaza shattered the ceiling of a mall. These are the sort of attacks that make Israel realize even their major cities are vulnerable. This morning in Israeli attacks on Gaza there were five Palestinians killed as well. (President Bush was speaking today in Israel and paid tribute to Israel’s role in the region as establishing one of the world’s great democracies in a region with few signs of democracy.) Bush spoke at a gala in his honor, Israeli officials thanked directly to Bush for his dedication to Israel. (How typical are such warm words towards the US and Bush these days?) There was an editorial from a conservative Israeli paper that Bush has shown some of the most consistent support of any US president, but on the street I would say he isn’t getting a lot of love. They shut down the traffic when any major head of state comes to Israel, which always causes frustration. There’s been a poster campaign showing President Bush sitting with the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas so even from the right he’s getting criticism, but obviously on the left he gets criticism as well.