Israel gives Bush lavish welcome

JERUSALEM – The entire Israeli cabinet, a full army band and honour guard in white ceremonial uniforms, and a row of red carpets welcomed President George W Bush yesterday for the first United States presidential visit to the Jewish state in a decade.

It was an exceptional outpouring of support for a president not too accustomed to warm greetings overseas. Bush seemed moved as the American and Israeli anthems were played, with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert flanking him on either side.Bush then inspected the row of neatly pressed soldiers and briefly exchanged pleasantries with Israel’s top personalities – including the army chief of staff, the head of the central bank and Israel’s two chief rabbis – as patriotic tunes played in the background and the flags of both nations flapped in the wind.An emotional Olmert thanked Bush for his unwavering commitment to Israel, calling the bond between the two countries “unshakable.””You’re our strongest and most trusted ally,” Olmert said.”Your solidarity with the people of Israel has won you the love and admiration of all the citizens of Israel, and we all feel privileged to have you here with us.”Yitzhak Ben Ami, 72, a retired teacher in Jerusalem, agreed.”Bush is the most popular US president of all time for Israel.He has done a lot for the country and it is an honour to have him here,” he said.Bush’s warm reception in Israel stood in sharp contrast to the feeling in the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinian attitudes toward Bush range from ambivalence to outright hatred.Bill Clinton was the last sitting US president to visit Israel when he came in 1998.That same year, Bush, then governor of Texas, also made his first and only visit.On that trip he formed a strong bond with then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon during a joint helicopter tour over Israel and the West Bank.That bond continued when both were propelled to power shortly after – ending only with Sharon’s devastating stroke two years ago.Bush was scheduled to meet with Sharon’s sons yesterday.After the spirited reception at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Bush departed to Jerusalem via helicopter, where he was slated for longer meetings with Olmert, Peres and other leaders.licopter, where he was slated for longer meetings with Olmert, Peres and other leaders.At Peres’ residence, Bush was welcomed by a band of children who danced and sang songs for him, including a hip-hop version of Hava Nagila.The president seemed taken by a 13-year-old redhead with braces who delivered a bilingual rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.The municipality shelled out nearly US$400 000 (around N$2,7 million) to tidy up the city ahead of the three-day presidential visit, with garbage collectors working around the clock.But the preparations took a toll on the city’s 750 000 residents.Some 10 000 officers were deployed across the city, bringing traffic to a standstill.Nampa-APBush seemed moved as the American and Israeli anthems were played, with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert flanking him on either side.Bush then inspected the row of neatly pressed soldiers and briefly exchanged pleasantries with Israel’s top personalities – including the army chief of staff, the head of the central bank and Israel’s two chief rabbis – as patriotic tunes played in the background and the flags of both nations flapped in the wind.An emotional Olmert thanked Bush for his unwavering commitment to Israel, calling the bond between the two countries “unshakable.””You’re our strongest and most trusted ally,” Olmert said.”Your solidarity with the people of Israel has won you the love and admiration of all the citizens of Israel, and we all feel privileged to have you here with us.”Yitzhak Ben Ami, 72, a retired teacher in Jerusalem, agreed.”Bush is the most popular US president of all time for Israel.He has done a lot for the country and it is an honour to have him here,” he said.Bush’s warm reception in Israel stood in sharp contrast to the feeling in the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinian attitudes toward Bush range from ambivalence to outright hatred.Bill Clinton was the last sitting US president to visit Israel when he came in 1998.That same year, Bush, then governor of Texas, also made his first and only visit.On that trip he formed a strong bond with then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon during a joint helicopter tour over Israel and the West Bank.That bond continued when both were propelled to power shortly after – ending only with Sharon’s devastating stroke two years ago.Bush was scheduled to meet with Sharon’s sons yesterday.After the spirited reception at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Bush departed to Jerusalem via helicopter, where he was slated for longer meetings with Olmert, Peres and other leaders.licopter, where he was slated for longer meetings with Olmert, Peres and other leaders.At Peres’ residence, Bush was welcomed by a band of children who danced and sang songs for him, including a hip-hop version of Hava Nagila.The president seemed taken by a 13-year-old redhead with braces who delivered a bilingual rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.The municipality shelled out nearly US$400 000 (around N$2,7 million) to tidy up the city ahead of the three-day presidential visit, with garbage collectors working around the clock.But the preparations took a toll on the city’s 750 000 residents.Some 10 000 officers were deployed across the city, bringing traffic to a standstill.Nampa-AP

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