Israel Matzav

Replace George Mitchell with ... George W. Bush

This is an interesting idea that will never happen. Shmuel Rosner suggests making former President George W. Bush President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East.

I don't think this idea is a viable one - because the parties involved wouldn't be interested. Nonetheless, it's intriguing enough idea for me to mention it. It is from Gregory Levey's article in Newsweek:

[T]here is someone who does - someone who could use a job, someone who argued straightforwardly for a Palestinian state, and yet someone who has the implicit admiration and regard of Israel. President Obama needs a new envoy to the region who can get results - and George W. Bush is his man.

...

As an envoy, Bush could assuage most of these worries. Many Israelis, especially led by their current right-wing government, would readily trust that policies advanced by Bush had their best interests at heart, and he would not abandon them.

Well maybe. If it's the first term Bush clearly yes. If it's the second term Bush, I'd want to know whom he's hiring as his advisers first.

But the first term Bush is light years away from Obama on policy, and the second term Bush would hire advisers who are light years away from Obama on policy, so this will never happen. But it's a thought.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:43 PM