As President Obama was declaring France as our best and closest ally (doesn’t he read history?), former President George W. Bush was quietly giving thanks to our real friends. Note my emphasis on “quietly” and “real.” While President Obama seems to enjoy the theatrics of diplomacy, namely giving glowing speeches and apologies, along with publicly chatting with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Bush remains his understated best even in private life. And while Obama has also been difficult on our closest allies–namely Great Britain and Israel–it seems the former President continues to remind them of our appreciation. To wit:
“Some 1,000 security officials and members of Israel’s political echelon gathered at Tel Aviv University on Thursday evening to bid farewell to outgoing Mossad Director Meir Dagan. But the most significant and moving greeting was received from a person who did not attend the event: Former US President George W. Bush.
Bush sent Dagan a personal letter following a conversation with former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. About a month ago, during a visit to the United States, Olmert telephoned Bush and informed him that Dagan was about to complete his term as Israel’s Mossad chief.
The cooperation between the Israeli and American intelligence services reached new peaks during Olmert’s term as prime minister. At the time, Olmert personally introduced Dagan to Bush and used the Mossad chief as his personal emissary to Washington on security and intelligence issues.”
According to different reports, the former prime minister sent the Mossad chief to present to the US president information collected on a Syrian nuclear reactor.
After hearing about Dagan’s retirement, Bush decided to write a personal letter as a special gesture to the former Mossad director. Olmert’s office received the letter in recent days along with a copy of the former president’s new book. On Thursday, during the farewell party, Olmert took the stage and surprised Dagan with the American leader’s gift.
In the letter, Bush congratulated Dagan on his ‘wonderful career’ and said it was honor for him to work together with the Mossad chief in advancing security issues and laying the foundation for a peaceful world.”
You’ve gotta love Dagan. According to WikiLeaks, in 2007 he presented the U.S. with a five-step plan to perform a coup in Iran. That’s a 5-step plan anyone should love.