Ignoring the hoohah over Bush's speech at the Knisset just for a moment, there are some nice White House photos of his and Laura's visit to Masada. And his speech at the Jersualem International Convention Center is nice, too. Although he may be taking this Harry Truman reincarnate thing too much to heart. Have you noticed how much Truman is showing up in his speeches lately?
As Israel prepared to declare independence, President Truman faced a tough choice over whether to recognize a new state. The future of Israel hung in the balance. As Chaim Weizmann told the President, he said, "History and providence have placed this issue in your hands."As for the Knesset speech, there's a lot there, but may I say as the product in part of a Jewish family how accurate this is, not just at the Knisset, but at the dinner table:
And today we know that the forces of Providence could not have chosen a better man than America's 33rd President. (Applause.) Eleven minutes after Israel came into existence, the United States became the first nation to recognize its independence. And because Harry Truman did what was right instead of following the conventional wisdom, we can say today that America is Israel's oldest and best friend in the world.
It is a rare privilege for the American President to speak to the Knesset. (Laughter.) Although the Prime Minister told me there is something even rarer -- to have just one person in this chamber speaking at a time.
