KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT — We've left Jerusalem, but until President Bush speaks to U.S. troops tomorrow about the Iraq war, we'll still be thinking and talking about Israel.
First, President Bush today gave some personal impressions of his trip to White House press secretary Dana Perino, which she passed on to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Kuwait.
After his visits to Capernaum and the Church of the Beattitudes in Galilee today, Mr. Bush said he found it "awe-inspiring to walk where Jesus lived and preached."
The president looked out over the Sea of Galilee where Jesus is said in the Bible to have walked on water, and visited the hillside where Jesus is thought to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
Mr. Bush, making an allusion to Jesus' calming of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, said also that he was "reminded of how prayer helps him and has helped him calm rough seas in his life and certainly in the White House."
Second, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke with reporters on Air Force One after Mr. Bush left Israel today. She told them that Mr. Bush's promise to return to Israel in May, for the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, would keep the peace process moving forward.
"It's always good to have the parties know that the president is coming," Ms. Rice said. "That really gives them an incentive to move forward."
Look for more of Ms. Rice's comments in my main story on the Web site and in tomorrow's paper, or read the entire transcript here.
Also, It was interesting to read some details of settlement activity in today's Jerusalem Post. On the way to Ramallah yesterday, the press were able to see an outpost out the windows of our bus.
An outpost is different from a settlement in that it is not authorized by the Israeli government. Yet the fact that many outposts are not dismantled by the Israelis, despite their promises to stop official settlement expansion, seems to cast some doubt on Israeli sincerity about a key issue in the peace process.
The JP has two interesting settlement articles here and here.
And finally, I saw this sign today as I walked through the Jaffa Gate into the Old City, on a chilly but beautiful morning.
Not a whole lot of room for negotiation there.
— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (5)
you don't go against Israel. this nation is favored by god and he deals badly with empires who go against them. Katrina and the California fires plus our bad economy are all signs. wake up America and start putting believers in office and not these false anti-Christs. no one has the right to interfere with Israel, not even commandante Bush.
Posted by warren bacon | January 11, 2008 11:06 PM
Israel must not agree to anymore treaties - agreements with these desert squatters. They cannot forfeit any more of their land, their developed and civilized settlements. They must uphold G-d's covenant. Jerusalem is the capital. Pres. Bush will bless his presidency and the USA by honoring Jerusalem as such--the capital of Israel and respecting the developed and civilized settlements. The desert squatters, a.k.a. palestinians, need to be divided among their fellow Muslim countries where they originally hailed from. Remember, in 1948, the Brits gave the Muslims, a.k.a. palestinians[coined in 1967 by Arafat], a.k.a. desert squatters the country called Jordan/transJordan! p.s. what have the squatters done with the land they've been squatting on for 40 to 60 years??? What have they developed??? Are they a civilized tribe??? "They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul." Psalms 35:12 We must not reward evil for good! Genesis 44:4
Posted by Mrs. Carol Cassady | January 12, 2008 4:25 PM
Bush to give his Crawford Ranch back to Mexico
Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming!
President George Bush is planning to give his Crawford ranch back to Mexico, according to an unnamed Middle East source. This jester of understanding and good will is meant to signal to the Israeli/Palestinian team of negotiators, that George Bush means business.
The relinquishment of the Crawford Ranch to Mexico will take place at the end of President Bush's term in office. The offer is conditional. Here are the details, according to Abdul Farcical:
As you know the Crawford Ranch is on occupied territory. The borders of Texas were settled in 1849 after the United States stole the territory from Mexico.
President Bush has realized that he is living in luxury while Mexicans live in poverty just across the Mexican Border.
Therefore, President Bush has insisted that Israel start the negotiations for the twenty third Arab State, and the second Palestinian state, from the Israel borders of 1949.
According to Abdul, President Bush said that it is only fair for him to give up his ranch to show the Israelis the path to an everlasting Peace in the Middle East
"We must all give up the occupied territories", said President Bush. "I am also encouraging Condi Rice to give up her residence and we will use our National Guard to clear an area around Condi's resident and remove ten thousand settlers immediately surrounding Condi Rice's dwelling."
"Moreover," continued the President, "We will empty the D.C. jails of armed thugs and give them Condi's, and all the other homes and businesses, and remove the 10,000 settlers to trailer parks."
"All of this will be an example of "hard choices" that have to be made to appease the down trodden Arab masses."
The President said that he had a midnight revelation. "I might stumble on some words, the President said, "but I am good at math". What he then described went something like this: "There is a 100 years difference between the settling of the American/Mexican border and the Israeli border. If you divide this by 2, that gives you two 50 year periods of time. You know, from studying Israeli literature, that the 50Th year is the year of Jubilee when everyone must forgive debts and give back land. Since there are two 50 year periods of time between these border treaties, "I thought that it would be only right if Condi and I ( 1+1=2 ) gave up our land."
Also, the President pointed to the arguments of the La Raza and Reconquista Movements in Mexico. They call themselves the " Mexican Palestinians".
The hand-over of Crawford will be the first step in returning Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California back to Mexico.
One other project is in the works: Since there is lots of oil in Alaska, the President plans on leasing Alaska back to the Russians since their Oil Production capabilities are not hindered by the Greens.
Giving Manhattan back to the Indians was not discussed.
For further information on this subject, use your imagination. If the Iranian military stopped refining uranium in 2003, the civilian nuclear program continues to the present, and both are controlled by the same government, anything is possible in Washington, D.C.
Most notable is the fact that President Bush is making treaties with foreign governments without the consent of the Senate. How is this done? By simply calling these treaties, "agreements" or "understandings" or "initiatives".
The Annapolis love fest was just another deception and obfuscation by the President with two heads...one good at math; the other lost in Foggy Bottom.
DPHeimbold, St, Augustine, Fl 904-553-7312
Posted by DPHeimbold | January 12, 2008 6:55 PM
All President Bush should remember is "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee", that's God's promise.
Posted by Gary Borders | January 12, 2008 8:58 PM
First,the Jews in Palestine are WWII Europeans Jews, who took the name Israels,[Israel]when they sailed to Palestine, with weapons to take Palestine-land by force,as they continue to do today with US green light.The false,often repeated, by radical violent, extremist,generally illegal Jewish settlers,[some in the Knesset]their rabbis, supporters around the world especially in U.S., that "G_D gave Israel to the Jews' is "false."Its Palestine, not Israel,[see ancient maps of Middle East!]Jews, have found if you repeat often same rhetorical lie, they call 'narrative' it becomes truth,but only for them and their radical supporters, wherever and whomever.
Posted by sj | January 13, 2008 6:37 AM