Two leaders from the Middle East visited President George W. Bush recently, with the same agenda, that is, to cut Israel down to size, and both left happy. The most recent guest was Mahmoud Abbas who came with a wish list. In keeping with the still-operational Palestinian charter, he wanted Israel. Bush told Abbas that he could have all of Gaza, the entire West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and parts of Jerusalem. The rest of Israel would be turned over in due time.

Two leaders from the Middle East visited President George W. Bush recently, with the same agenda, that is, to cut Israel down to size, and both left happy.

The most recent guest was Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected president of the Palestinian Authority even as members of the same Authority resigned to protest alleged corruption at the ballot box. Abbas came with a wish list of one item. In keeping with the still-operational Palestinian charter, he wanted Israel.

Bush told Abbas that he could have all of Gaza, the entire West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and part of Jerusalem.

What about the rest?

In good time. Step by step, said Bush.

That conversation is just guess, but is to be assumed from published accounts of Bush's Rose Garden remarks that followed his meeting with Abbas -- "Israel should not undertake any activity that contravenes road-map obligations or prejudices final-status negotiations with regard to Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem."

Moreover, "Israel must remove unauthorized outposts and stop settlement expansion."

Israelis, in other words, are permitted to do anything they want, as long as they get permission first, from Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas, we are told, was thrilled to find Bush so easy to win over, as Israel was now the property of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas, however, was concerned, momentarily, as to how the prime minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, would respond to having his country slipped out from under him.

Bush said, "You're worried about Sharon?" Someone in the room make a crack and people laughed.

That is also a guess, but a good one.

Observers who voted for Bush (like myself) not once but twice, the same people who consider themselves Republicans and Conservatives (like myself) were not thrilled at what appeared to be an about-face by President Bush. He was voted in to fight terror, but, instead, was taking the side of a man, Abbas, who had been Yasser Arafat's sidekick during a Palestinian Arab terror uprising that killed 1,500 Israelis.

Bush was also voted in by right-wingers (like myself) who favor a strong America and a strong Israel. Israel is the only nation in the Middle East that shares America's values in terms of liberty. So it came as a surprise to behold the same Bush handing over fifty million dollars to Abbas.

Abbas's resume includes the Munich Massacre and the hijacking of the Achille Lauro, wherein, back in 1985, a group of his PLO terrorists hijacked an Italian cruise ship, murdered wheelchair bound American Leon Klinghoffer, and tossed him overboard in his wheelchair. Therefore, a bonanza of fifty million dollars seemed to be going for terrorism, not against terrorism.

Meanwhile, to the chagrin of Bush's followers (like myself), there seems to be no fifty million dollars to protect America's borders.

(Some might ask -- Why bother purchasing POWER BALL lottery tickets at the corner news shop when terrorism pays such a handsome jackpot?)

Earlier, Sharon himself visited Bush, but there was no need, as his wish list was more or less the same as that of Mahmoud Abbas. Sharon asked for permission to deport his Jewish brothers and sisters from Gush Katif, a section of Gaza. Bush granted this, along with permission to eventually remove Jews from the West Bank as well, plus Jerusalem.

The removal of all Israel must be done in stages.

Bush reminded Sharon (if not in these exact words) that Israel is sovereign as long as it gets permission from Mahmoud Abbas, from Egypt, and from the Condoleezza Rice, who will be making frequent trips to Israel to monitor the dismantling of Israel step by step.

Sharon, like Abbas, was thrilled to find Bush so easy to bend. Indeed, Sharon's visit was a waste. Abbas, batting clean-up for Sharon, said it all, and got it all.

Jack Engelhard is the author of the novel "Indecent Proposal" and the award-winning memoir of his experiences as a Jewish refugee from Europe, "Escape From Mount Moriah." His novel "The Days of the Bitter End" is being prepared for movie production.

Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider