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Unfornately many of the Powell haters and anti GWers on anything he does re the Middle East, don't like Sharon either. They are 24/7 Bibi fans. Bibi is not the man in charge in Israel. The man in charge in Israel is Sharon, and our man is GW. They both are doing a good job in a terrible situation. So called allies that hammer both of them 24/7 are not allies. They play right into the hands of the Islamic Thugs.

Personally I have more respect for Netanyahu than Sharon, even though I disagree with his rhetoric. Despite it, he was able to work well with both Jordan and the PA. Sharon seems to go out of his way to antagonize the Palis in even the smallest ways (the high profile visit to Mount Moriah, the house he maintains in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem).

If the Israeli government is as happy with Bush's speech as is presented here, they may indeed be looking for a pretext to rein in the Anschluss crowd. While Bush's comments about the PA are getting all the public attention, his views on the settlements were subtle but equally clear.

Actions will count more than reactions..on both sides.

-Eric

You posted, "Personally I have more respect for Netanyahu than Sharon, even though I disagree with his rhetoric."

A big problem is that Rush and many of the so called conservative voices in the beltway have bought Bibi's rhetoric lock stock and barrel. They savage GW when they see him not following Bibi's rhetoric.

I feel that helps Arafatty and his Islamic thugs more than the average Israeli trying to stay alive and keep his/her family alive. If and when BiBi gets re elected, he will be the man to support. Right now I support GW and Sharon, because they are the ones in charge with this awful task.

I'm also more of a Netanyahu fan, myself. Israel needs a break from its past, and quite frankly, I think Netanyahu also has a better record of dealing with Jordan and the PA. I also like the fact that he is not in the mood to take any crap from the PA, either.

The fact is, Netanyahu probably will win the next election. In which case, he is in charge. In any case, the Palestinians seem to be rejecting Bush's conditions, therefore they may very well lose any hope of a Palestinian state. It's a shame that the Palestinian people allowed themselves to be used as bloody pawns in this MidEast grudge match.