Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., January 26, 2009 Shvat 1, 5769 | | Israel Time: 13:23 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

A hostile president By Gideon Levy Tags: Gaza, Gideon Levy  Click here for more articles by Gideon Levy George Bush is coming to Israel this week. He will take pleasure in his visit. One can assume that there are few prime ministers with a giant photo of themselves with the U.S. president hanging on the wall in their home, as our Ehud Olmert boasted last week that he does, to his exalted guest, the comic Eli Yatzpan. There are also few other countries where the lame duck from Washington would not be greeted with mass demonstrations; instead, Israel is making great efforts to welcome him graciously. The man who has wreaked such ruin upon the world, upon his country, and upon us is such a welcome guest only in Israel. A man is coming to Israel this week who has left a trail of killing, destruction and global hatred. Never has the U.S. been so despised as during Bush's seven years in office, which abruptly brought his county back to the not-so-merry days of Vietnam. Advertisement He led the U.S., and the free world in its wake, into two brutal and completely futile wars of conquest, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq. He sowed mass killing in these two wretched countries under the false pretext of a battle against global terror. But the world after these two wars is not a better world or a safer one. And these two wounded countries feel no gratitude toward the superpower that ostensibly came to emancipate them from their regimes of terror. There was no connection between the attack on the Twin Towers and Iraq. Saudi Arabia, where most of the terrorists came from, could have been a more appropriate target but it remained an ally of the U.S. despite its despotic regime. The war in Iraq, the rationale for which - the presence of weapons of mass destruction - was revealed to be false, was an atrocious, futile war that is far from being over, even if its daily toll of killing has declined from 100 to 50. In Western Europe, in South America, in Asia, in all parts of the Arab and Muslim world and in parts of Africa, the sole global superpower has come to be viewed as a hostile, arrogant and ostracized entity. This is not good for America and it is not good for the world. Closer to home, it is worth remembering the damage Bush has caused to the Middle East. His seven years in power have been wasted years, barren and dangerous. Never has there been a president who gave Israel such an automatic carte blanche and even encouraged it to take violent action, to deepen and entrench the occupation. This is not friendship with Israel. This is not concern for its future. A president who did not even try to pressure Israel to end the occupation is a president who is hostile to it, indifferent to its future and fate. A president who endorsed every abomination - from the expansion of settlements to the failure to honor commitments and signed agreements, including those with U.S. such as the passages agreement and the freeze on settlement construction - is not a president who seeks the best for Israel or aspires to peace. What happened to the days when Israel hesitated before planting another trailer home in the territories or before every liquidation operation out of fear for America's reaction? What happened to the days when there was a president in Washington who sowed trepidation in Jerusalem before each human rights violation or war crime? This is all we got from Bush: a more entrenched and brutal occupation with the open, or tacit, encouragement of the U.S.; a green light for another superfluous war in Lebanon; a Hamas government in Gaza, which the U.S., and consequently the rest of the world, is boycotting - a measure that has only led to the starvation of Gaza, while failing to weaken Hamas; and U.S. authorization for "the settlement blocs." The Middle East has only moved further away from peace during Bush's tenure. His belated and feeble attempts to change this fact have not produced anything. Until a determined president is inaugurated in Washington who will engage in a serious effort to bring an end to the occupation, no peace will prevail here. Bush could have done this, but he abused his office. This is the man who is coming to us this week. History will yet judge him for his actions and his failures. The world feels enmity toward him and even the U.S. is already sick and tired of him. Only here is he accorded honor and glory. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Disturbing trend Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records. After the war IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.   1.   Hostile president? No, war criminal... 05:20  |  Miriam 06/01/08   2.   Levy is 100% Correct 07:20  |  MB 06/01/08   3.   well said, I am pleased to see that free press still 07:39  |  GO HOME YANKIE 06/01/08   4.   I love you Gideon, but it gets worse 08:07  |  ricki bobbi 06/01/08   5.   Gideon Levy`s half-ideas 09:35  |  moshe Israel 06/01/08   6.   When we shuddered for the Middle East 10:39  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   7.   America - the Jackass Years 10:46  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   8.   Haim Cohn: Our Only Hope 11:08  |  Zeev 06/01/08   9.   A hostile president 11:36  |  Txema Ruiz 06/01/08   10.   Levy, our collective poodle 11:39  |  FOX 06/01/08   11.   Clickfool speaks, nobody shudders 11:45  |  FOX 06/01/08   12.   Left-liberal hypocrisy 11:49  |  Rowan Berkeley 06/01/08   13.   Boring predictable trite Levy 11:51  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 06/01/08   14.   Miriam, what are you on? 11:55  |  FOX 06/01/08   15.   I agree completely with Gideon levy 11:55  |  Natallie Durson 06/01/08   16.   Gideon Levy & A.Hass are enemies of Israel 11:57  |  Vittorio 06/01/08   17.   Gideon Levy & A.Hass are enemies of Israel 11:57  |  Vittorio 06/01/08   18.   THE CRIMINAL OF THE CENTURY 12:10  |  indrajaya 06/01/08   19.   Absolutely brilliant , well done G Levy 12:35  |  Sam (UK) 06/01/08   20.   Rowan #12 12:38  |  FOX 06/01/08   21.   Afghanistan is completely justified. 12:41  |  Devin Leonard 06/01/08   22.   Natalie`s wet dream #15 12:45  |  FOX 06/01/08   23.   Do Arabs say they will accept Jewish state if it leaves West Bank 12:47  |  Sam 06/01/08   24.   Mr. Levy you forgot the Bush-Jews connection? 13:07  |  Dutch Dirk 06/01/08   25.   Gideon isn`t a journalist 13:08  |  Rachel 06/01/08   26.   appreciation 13:10  |  Ouday Al Mandalawi 06/01/08   27.   Indrajaya turns to lies once again 13:14  |  FOX 06/01/08   28.   I notice you`re posting from Israel, Fox # 11 13:28  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   29.   Good Article 13:33  |  David 06/01/08   30.   For Fox again # 22 13:39  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   31.   a hostile president 13:43  |  marco maggiar 06/01/08   32.   Levy sounds like UBL last tape 13:53  |  Joseph E . 06/01/08   33.   The only hostility is Gideon Levy`s towards Bush 13:56  |  Fortuna Benmayor 06/01/08   34.   #20 Fox 13:57  |  Rowan Berkeley 06/01/08   35.   Well said Gideon Levy 14:07  |  Nick Ferriman 06/01/08   36.   A Hostile President 14:23  |  Cyasher 06/01/08   37.   # 27, FOX 14:25  |  indrajaya 06/01/08   38.   hostile president 14:33  |  joram 06/01/08   39.   Bravo Gideon!Only in israel is the criminal from the white house 14:35  |  lakshmi 06/01/08   40.   and this is Journalism? 14:41  |  eddie 06/01/08   41.   A good, but incomplete, survey of the disaster called Bush 14:54  |  David Turner 06/01/08   42.   A good, but incomplete, survey of the Disaster called Bush, 2 14:55  |  David Turner 06/01/08   43.   don`t confuse indifference with shallowness 15:09  |  dav zee 06/01/08   44.   Bush is a courageous leader 15:19  |  Barry 06/01/08   45.   For David Turner # 42 15:22  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   46.   #33 Berkeley -not so fast please, where do you get your facts fro 15:22  |  nehemia dB 06/01/08   47.   A hostile correspondent 15:25  |  Renate 06/01/08   48.   levy is a tax on common sense he makes me giddy 15:26  |  victor hardman 06/01/08   49.   He`s a war criminal, just like the majority of Israelis.... 15:29  |  POP 06/01/08   50.   to Rachel #24 15:29  |  Kaled 06/01/08   51.   For Renate # 47 15:34  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   52.   Quite right eddie #40 15:34  |  S 06/01/08   53.   #45 Clickfool 15:35  |  ShadowMarshall 06/01/08   54.   too bad Jimmy Carter isnt running 16:00  |  Raed Kami 06/01/08   55.   Saddam vs. Bush; a comparison 16:19  |  Tosefta 06/01/08   56.   LAME duck 16:26  |  Paul 06/01/08   57.   Amen 16:35  |  Michael N 06/01/08   58.   Bush`s phony war on terror 16:36  |  Tosefta 06/01/08   59.   Gideon, make that sick to death of Bush & Israel please 16:46  |  Dutch 06/01/08   60.   Bush, Israel and the world`s responsibility 17:00  |  V 06/01/08   61.   The wrong went to the gallows In Iraq. 17:05  |  dutch 06/01/08   62.   Bolshevik style democracy 17:07  |  Frank 06/01/08   63.   G. Levy hostile to Israel 17:07  |  Wade 06/01/08   64.   Levy, it is YOU who are hostile to Israel 17:26  |  McQueen 06/01/08   65.   Levy, notice how every Israel-hater here loves your articles 17:28  |  McQueen 06/01/08   66.   awesome 17:47  |  sev 06/01/08   67.   Bush is the best president ever in those difficult times 17:48  |  TOMY 06/01/08   68.   Levy Clearly Doesn`t Understand War on Radical Islam 17:53  |  Jane 06/01/08   69.   With every new article Giddy is trying hard 17:53  |  TOMY 06/01/08   70.   Answer this 18:06  |  Kafooy Tova 06/01/08   71.   Bush is not Hostile, Gideon Levy Absolutly Hostile! 18:12  |  Ron 06/01/08   72.   A hostile president ? 18:16  |  Ralph 06/01/08   73.   Gideon Levy is more hostile to Israel than anyone but Hamas 18:28  |  Steve Randolph 06/01/08   74.   G Levy promotes imperialism: Why USA should pressure us or any1? 18:29  |  Alain 06/01/08   75.   God Bless President Bush! 18:31  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 06/01/08   76.   Bravo Mr Levy 18:39  |  Serenity 06/01/08   77.   Had enough of Israel 18:57  |  AmericaFirst 06/01/08   78.   Simplistic Analysis all around 19:01  |  Ravi 06/01/08   79.   yo foxy! 19:01  |  tadchase 06/01/08   80.   friends 19:15  |  Bob 06/01/08   81.   Looking forward to leave in an Islamic Republic 19:17  |  Dutch 06/01/08   82.   Tadcahse, bush will be honored by history 19:21  |  FOX 06/01/08   83.   #75 The WORST president and vicepresident ... 19:26  |  American 06/01/08   84.   #46 nehemia dB 19:27  |  Rowan Berkeley 06/01/08   85.   Jane, #68, clearly doesn`t understand.... 19:31  |  David James Vickery 06/01/08   86.   Bush needs Israel 19:33  |  Steve 06/01/08   87.   Ravi, your post was an oasis of common sense 19:33  |  Rafi 06/01/08   88.   War criminals---Pop says 19:35  |  Cyasher 06/01/08   89.   Lunatic ideas 19:36  |  Frank 06/01/08   90.   BUSH IS OUT OF ORDER A LONG TIME 19:39  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 06/01/08   91.   For Fox, on Bush, Lincoln & warts #82 19:41  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   92.   #24 Dutch Jerk 19:51  |  Midwest American 06/01/08   93.   #45, Not quite sure what you are getting at, clickfool. Why do 19:59  |  David Turner 06/01/08   94.   Bush`s terrible service to Israel 20:00  |  Tosefta 06/01/08   95.   Yes Vickery and Don`t Forget to Mention AIPAC Too 20:08  |  Jane 06/01/08   96.   #24 Dutch Dirk 20:11  |  Sarah 06/01/08   97.   Gideon Levy Should be visited by the CIA 20:11  |  Gil 06/01/08   98.   George Bush & Levy 20:14  |  Samuel L 06/01/08   99.   21Devin Leonard, Levy cries for his beloved Taliban 20:15  |  Rob 06/01/08   100.   #28 Clickfool 20:23  |  Sarah 06/01/08   101.   Bush and Israel 20:27  |  Ravi 06/01/08   102.   As usual Levy.................. 20:29  |  Ellis 06/01/08   103.   Mr. Levy, regrettably, there`s much more hostility coming from 20:30  |  Smadar 06/01/08   104.   ENJOY YOUR 8TH YR OF WELFARE, USA IS "BROKE"!! 20:48  |  SMITH 06/01/08   105.   Disastrous Bush 20:53  |  David 06/01/08   106.   Smadar #103 21:06  |  Kol Ha Shouk 06/01/08   107.   #97 Gil, Gideon Levy is absolutely on point 21:12  |  Dutch 06/01/08   108.   I proudly voted for President George W. Bush 21:24  |  Johnny Weintraub 06/01/08   109.   Same old daft question from "David Turner" # 93 21:28  |  Clickfool 06/01/08   110.   I truely believe Gideon loves Israel 21:46  |  Sahar 06/01/08   111.   ricki bobbi 21:46  |  Americana 06/01/08   112.   #104 mr smith goes to washington with false info 21:52  |  victor hardman 06/01/08   113.   Levy as I see him 22:13  |  Connie 06/01/08   114.   Gideon Levy as "black sheep" 22:23  |  V 06/01/08   115.   the israeli left wont wake up until one day it has no state 22:24  |  tumbling timmy 06/01/08   116.   before bush said it the idea of a palestinian stats was only 22:26  |  Brit Palestinian 06/01/08   117.   Bush 22:32  |  Shana 06/01/08   118.   Clickfool, Fox 22:32  |  tadchase 06/01/08   119.   Trowing stones in a glass house 22:38  |  Ofer Maimon 06/01/08   120.   #107 doris is bush responsible for road deaths and injuries ? 23:08  |  victor hardman 06/01/08   121.   Bush 23:12  |  Seoul 06/01/08   122.   hey, gideon, study dialectics, will you? 23:16  |  z 06/01/08   123.   BUSH 23:45  |  VENI VIDI 06/01/08   124.   Gideon is absolutely right........ 23:52  |  Deborah 06/01/08   125.   V 23:57  |  Connie 06/01/08   126.   it`s a tough pill to swallow 00:09  |  Leon 07/01/08   127.   America Needs Ron Paul 00:10  |  Daniel 07/01/08   128.   Wishful thinking 00:20  |  Colin Wright 07/01/08   129.   Levy Gideon is spot on - 1st try 00:41  |  BBSNews 07/01/08   130.   forgot to add one thing 00:52  |  Self-hating Jew 07/01/08   131.   victor hardman #112 00:56  |  george 07/01/08   132.   Brilliant Idiot 01:04  |  bill 07/01/08   133.   # 10 Levy our collective 01:07  |  Antalousia 07/01/08   134.   Levy & Hass 01:09  |  Maurice M 07/01/08   135.   RANTING AND RAVING OF A DIDDY LEVY 01:16  |  Emanuel 07/01/08   136.   A simple lesson from Bush 01:21  |  Boris 07/01/08   137.   A simple lesson from Bush 01:21  |  Boris 07/01/08   138.   #112,HARDMAN,WELFARE AND WARM GUINNESS STOUT 01:23  |  MR. SMITH 07/01/08   139.   HAARETZ HAS WRITTEN THE SIGN ON THE WALL 01:44  |  Gil 07/01/08   140.   HAARETZ HAS WRITTEN THE SIGN ON THE WALL 01:45  |  Gil 07/01/08   141.   The last true cowpuncher from Texas.! 01:47  |  Stephen. 07/01/08   142.   DUTCH HAVE YOUR FUN WITH ISLAM 02:02  |  Gil 07/01/08   143.   A hostile president 02:19  |  Lilian Pereira 07/01/08   144.   one may only hope so... 02:32  |  samos 07/01/08   145.   "As Israel is a democracy" NOT 02:33  |  samos 07/01/08   146.   Levy Hates All Zionists 03:05  |  Tod Zuckerman 07/01/08   147.   U.S.Role in Israel-PA peace 03:15  |  Michael 07/01/08   148.   Hey ZUCK...You are BLINDED by the Christian Right... 03:38  |  Ali 07/01/08   149.   121Seoul never heard of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice 03:43  |  I 07/01/08   150.   Meeting of the Exceptionalists Empire builders 03:45  |  dana 07/01/08   151.   Johnny Weintraub #108 - you remind me of the germans 03:57  |  dana 07/01/08   152.   A hostile president 03:59  |  Lynn 07/01/08   153.   A leftist Israeli Gideon Levy who is too comfy in his secure 04:07  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/08   154.   Pres Bush is the most principled and respectable politician since 04:16  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/08   155.   Israelis self-hating leftists are the real enemy within 04:22  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/08   156.   The leftist bashers of Israel and US have finally found a common 04:56  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/08   157.   bush 05:21  |  Ben Blustein jr 07/01/08   158.   BBSNews - which history books are you studying? 05:45  |  Ofer Maimon 07/01/08   159.   Thank you Gideon Levy 06:31  |  betz55 07/01/08   160.   To Clickfool 06:34  |  betz55 07/01/08   161.   re "Hostile President?" 07:01  |  Yardena 07/01/08   162.   BBSNews to Ofer but why bother, Haaretz is broken... 07:06  |  BBSNews 07/01/08   163.   ben blustein,jr. 07:06  |  Connie 07/01/08   164.   betz 55 and clickfool 07:12  |  Connie 07/01/08   165.   #133 Say Marwan 07:15  |  ballistic 07/01/08   166.   Let`s Rape Israel 07:20  |  paul almond 07/01/08   167.   #108 WOW Johnny Weintraub 07:21  |  ballistic 07/01/08   168.   #32 Say Joseph E. 07:22  |  ballistic 07/01/08   169.   Ilove you Gideon 07:34  |  Jacob 07/01/08   170.   Say ballistic name one political administration that did not have 07:52  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/08   171.   # 3 to "go home yankie" 08:06  |  eric 07/01/08   172.   139 Gil, You are going over the edge on Gideon Levy 09:16  |  Dutch 07/01/08   173.   PAUL ALMOND (#166) good point 09:31  |  Gil 07/01/08   174.   PAUL ALMOND (#166) good point 09:32  |  Gil 07/01/08   175.   Hatred by Islamofascists a badge of honor 09:52  |  Frank 07/01/08   176.   A Hostile President 10:07  |  Doug 07/01/08   177.   Gideon the arch-idiot is an embarrasment to Jews 10:07  |  Yohann 07/01/08   178.   Israel`s Graditude 10:36  |  Barry 07/01/08   179.   Weep Weep, the Islamists Who Want To Kill Us Are Suffering 10:41  |  Efox 07/01/08   180.   You are absolutely right - Bush is dangerous and so is Olmert 11:06  |  Tinkie 07/01/08   181.   PAUL ALMOND (#166) good point 11:30  |  Gil 07/01/08   182.   BUSD & ISRAEL haters, Here is something just for YOU 11:44  |  Gil 07/01/08   183.   You are too kind 16:02  |  T. Byers 07/01/08   184.   Bush is not good for Israel 21:42  |  Alice Depret 07/01/08   185.   the sword of Gideon 22:58  |  Shmuelshachor 07/01/08   186.   A Hostile President 03:21  |  Vivian Carel 08/01/08   187.   Sovereignty 04:16  |  dervish 08/01/08   188.   most in the know are tired of Israeli duplicity 04:46  |  Michael S Harris 08/01/08   189.   The truth hurts... 05:44  |  Gazza 08/01/08   190.   levy on bush 06:32  |  pariser 08/01/08   191.   Thanks Gideon Levy 17:01  |  Daniel J. Sheehan 09/01/08   192.   Jane and others need a history lesson 17:08  |  Stephan Larose 09/01/08   193.   outstanding article 21:16  |  hugues da mousse 09/01/08   194.   The Bush Cabinet 00:13  |  Seth Rabinowitz 10/01/08   195.   IMPORTANT TO KNOW 13:52  |  DANIEL J. SHEEHAN 10/01/08   196.   A hostile president 00:05  |  n 20/01/08

Read & React Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling Responses: 44 Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran Responses: 8 Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements Responses: 36 Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran Responses: 10 More Headlines 11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM 12:30 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75 11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive' 12:54 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser 13:16 Lecturers say IDF officer who justified Gaza strikes should not teach law 10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth 10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements 12:12 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister 13:17 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel 10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m 10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an 04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling 11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December 07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh 07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel 04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open 04:45 Egypt evacuates Rafah area, fearing IAF strike on Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan

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