Bush and Israel

I flick over to CNN - there are so many adverts this has to happen occasionally - and see Bush's speech to assembled worthies in Jerusalem. Three things stuck out about his talk. First, the supreme confidence of the man. He really does think all is going well. This can't be, surely, a facade. He genuinly believes all you think he does and more. He jokes with the audience, is relaxed and doesn't fluff a line as he rewrites Middle East history and laudes the democratic values the coalition is spreading throughout the world.

Then there is his repeated reference to Israeli "independence". As far as Bush is concerned, this isn't 60 years since the foundation of Israel, but a celebration of Israel's independence. It is a startling description. Former occupied countries can be said to celebrate their independence from their one time invaders. France does every May, India does etc., but the state of Israel only came into existence 60 years ago and was not occupied by anyone. Only the land was. In saying this Bush was attempting to eradicate from historythe fates of the 7000 000 Palestinians ethically cleansed from what is now Israel. All this is covered admirably in Seamus Milne's piece at the, er, Guardian - again, soz.

Finally, his delivery was calm and collected until he increased the tempo and got all together aggressive when he started to talk about peace. With Olmert's declaration that calm may have to be imposed in Gaza and the West bank, it's a strange kind of peace he's trying to spread around.

To his (dwindling) supporters and reluctant followers (the rest of the capitalist class and their hangers-on) it was a reassuring speech. There will be no change, the war, neither losable nor winnable, will continue - money will be made.

It was chilling stuff.