ABSTRACT
In comparing the George W. Bush and Barack Obama policies toward Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict, this chapter describes the similarities and differences. Bush was a conservative with a black-and-white understanding of terrorism, one that was reinforced by 9/11. Bush, after 9/11, sought to end the al-Aqsa intifada and create a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel. A factor prompting Bush to change his position was Yasser Arafat's continued sponsorship of terrorism. In the aftermath of Arafat's death and the reelection of Bush, the situation initially appeared to improve, as far as US policy in the Middle East was concerned. While Bush was formulating his democratization policy, Ariel Sharon was developing a new strategy of his own—the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel's relations with the Hamas-led Palestinian government continued to deteriorate, with stepped-up shelling of Israeli territory from Gaza and Israeli retaliation.
