Bush's 'Appeasement' Comments Honored Ailing Israeli Leader

By Marc Sheppard

What the "outraged" Democrats and mainstream media are completely ignoring in Bush's "appeasement" words used in yesterday's Knesset speech is that they addressed concerns originally raised by Ariel Sharon.

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, then Israeli Prime Minister Sharon warned the United States not to "appease the Arabs at [Israel's] expense." Sharon made reference to the catastrophic consequences of European democracies appeasing Hitler prior to World War II, specifically citing the Munich Pact of 1938 which ceded Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland to Germany:

''Don't repeat the terrible mistakes of 1938, when the enlightened democracies in Europe decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a comfortable, temporary solution. [Israel] will not be Czechoslovakia.''

In fact, quite early in yesterday's speech - and well before making the Hitler comparison -- the president honored the former prime minister, who now lies hospitalized in a persistent vegetative state:

"My only regret is that one of Israel's greatest leaders is not here to share the moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, and a dear friend. The prayers of all Americans are with Ariel Sharon."

So all spin aside, not only did Bush reassure the Israeli legislature of our unwavering commitment to the Jewish state, he respectfully addressed Sharon's concerns that "appeasement" might threaten its very survival in doing so.

Yet the feigned outrage from Obama -- it is he, not Bush, who has politicized the issue -- and other Dems over both the Nazi comparison and talk of those who "believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals" was as resounding as it was immediate. As were their claims that including such in a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence was somehow inopportune.

When in fact both the sentiment and the timing could not have been more appropriate.

Update: More important context of the speech from Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters.