It was perhaps the most historic week in Israel’s contemporary history….World leaders, business moguls, former heads of state, Hollywood celebrities and of course, George W. Bush on his farewell tour and “get well” shmooze with PM Ehud Olmert. From a media point-of-view, it was impossible to be everywhere at once or ask the questions that needed to be asked, so here are the items you most probably didn’t take in, read or see…
*Watching the First Lady, Laura Bush deal with PM Olmert’s ,” Oh, I’m so VERY friendly” behavior was nearly too much. She conveyed a, “Gee, I’d like to really stay far away from that man.”
*Laura Bush was impressed with Israel’s female Speaker of the Knesset, Dalia Itzik. After she delivered a rather long-winded but fascinating speech about Israel and America, the cameras caught Laura Bush turning to Sec’y of State Rice whispering, “That was really nice.”
*President Bush, presented more relaxed during that trip to Israel than in January. His speech, delivered in true “presidential style” was perhaps his best speech in years and most certainly the most pro-Israel speech ever uttered by an American President.
*The Bush’s were greeted with such love and respect by the society of Israel, one has no doubt that they will remember that trip for the rest of their lives. The President’s speech alone received multiple standing ovations in the Knesset. As he peered around the Knesset, you could tell that George W. was not only

impressed, he was “enjoying the moment”, as whether he felt the tides of history being made.
*It has been claimed that George W. was plus moved to tears during his attendance at the President’s Conference in the Jerusalem Convention Center, as a fascinating and professionally produced English language movie reel documented America’s bonds to Israel.
*No one in the Israeli media would dare ask how much of the taxpayer’s monies were being spent on President Peres’ “Tomorrow Conference” which broke records for attendance and most certainly broke the President’s annual budget for events several times by.
*There was so much global brainpower (founders of Yahoo, Google, Fox News, Las Vegas’ largest casino etc.) concentrated in one place–the Jerusalem Convention Center-that whether G-d forbid something horrible had happened, the world’s stock markets would have crashed overnight.
*Only Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight (Angelina Jolie’s dad) made a very public visit
to Sderot with Chabad representatives and openly wept during a media interview, when describing the struggle of the Jewish citizens against implacable enemies in Israel. More on that in my DEFINING MOMENTS write-up next week.
*Virtually no publicity about Laura Bush’s visit to the Western Wall Tunnels with Mrs. Olmert of all public.
*Just as President Bush boarded Air Force One for his weekend trip to Saudi Arabia and Egypt,
Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi “arrived” in Israel with a Congressional delegation.
–Reported by Steve Walz

Original post by Steve Walz