Delusion

George Bush, at his Hannukah reception last night--

This evening, we have the great privilege of celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary and Hanukkah in a very special way. Thanks to the generosity of the Truman Library, we are fortunate to light the menorah presented to President Truman in 1951 as a symbol of friendship by Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.

A decade after President Truman received this gift, he visited Prime Minister Ben-Gurion for one of the last times. As they parted, Ben-Gurion told the President that as a foreigner he could not judge President Truman's place in American history, but the President's courageous decision to recognize the new state of Israel gave him an immortal place in Jewish history. Those words filled the President's eyes with uncharacteristic tears. And later, Ben-Gurion would say he rarely had seen somebody so moved.

Lately, Bush has been comparing himself to Truman. It's just possible that he thinks he will be seen to a future Arab world as Truman is to Israel. For one thing, he has people near him telling him that. It's the kind of detachment that might drive one to hurl a pair of shoes at him.