Editorial: A thank you to President Bush

Issue of Jan. 2, 2009 / 6 Teves 5769

Making Havdalah only to discover that Israel is at war again was a shock only because it didn't really seem like Israel would ever actually do anything about the situation in Gaza, a recent cabinet vote notwithstanding.

Posing the question, "So, what do you think about what's going on in Gaza?" drew the response "It's about time" from a Five Towns business owner who served in one of Israel's elite military units.

We pray for the safety of every member of the Israel Defense Force. But the IDF is engaged in an absolutely necessary task –– rooting out the Hamas terrorists who have made life in southern Israel a living hell. Snuggled in among the Arab civilians they use as shields, Hamas maintained a seven year long stream of fire into Sderot and the surrounding region, even during a six-month "cease fire."

We pray also for the safety of Acheinu Kol Bais Yisroel, Israeli civilians in harm's way in and around Sderot. A number of Hamas rockets have found their targets in recent days but beyond the dead and physically wounded the psychological damage they wreak, especially on children, is profound.

We pray for their safety not as a figure of speech, but literally. Every time a rocket bound for Israel lifts off from Gaza we get the same scant warning as the people on the receiving end, via a text message from Project SMS of the National Council of Young Israel. Immediately we fulfill a commitment we made to say Tehillim Chapter 130. You can sign up to do the same here.

Saying tehillim when Israel is at war is the least that is expected of us. Others have responded to Israel's campaign to clean up Gaza in ways that are expected of them. The United Nations, the European Union and the Arab world, to name a few, offered predictable outrage that Israel would dare to defend its citizens from attack.

The New York Times, too, reacted predictably. Its lead story on Sunday was reasonably fair, actually, but the page one headline on that story focused entirely on Arab casualties in Gaza, and ignored the context of the hostilities. The Times' photo selections that day and the next, front page, above the fold, were similarly predictable: see what carnage Israel hath wrought.

Remarkably, the reaction from the White House was also predictable: Hamas is at fault for firing rockets at Israel in the first place, and Israel has the right to defend itself.

“Hamas has once again shown its true colors as a terrorist organization that refuses to even recognize Israel's right to exist,” said Deputy White House Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe Tuesday.

For 10 or 15 minutes President Bush's spokesman jousted with the White House press corps, parrying and thrusting as the reporters tried to get him to say that Israel has overstepped its bounds, or is using a disproportionate amount of force.

“The United States understands that Israel needs to take actions to defend itself,” was all Johndroe had to say on that score.

“Should Israel continue to negotiate with Hamas?” he was asked. He responded by pointing out what should be obvious.

“You know, there is an Egyptian brokered ceasefire that was in effect until December 19th. It was a bit of a shaky ceasefire, considering Hamas continued to fire rockets during that period of time.”

We say that the White House reaction was remarkably predictable because it's been this way for all eight years of President George W. Bush's administration. When Israel's few friends scatter and make themselves scarce, as tends to happen at times like these, the President and his people have without apology or equivocation stood proudly in Israel's corner.

We've intended for several weeks to mark the end of the Bush administration with a call for gratitude, and with 18 days until his presidency ends, this is it: Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you for everything you have done to uphold your oath to secure and defend the United States, and for everything you have done –– because it was the right thing to do –– to secure and defend The State of Israel, America's one true friend in the Middle East.

You have taken an incredible amount of personal abuse for doing the things that you thought were right, rather than the things that might have brought up your standing in the polls. History will have the final say on your decisions, but our prediction is that history will be kinder than the polls.