George W. Bush explains his training in Middle East studies:
"I got a partner in peace in Ariel Sharon. I've been impressed by his leadership. Sam mentioned the time when the RJC flew four governors -- and I happened to be one -- to the Holy Land. And we went to a briefing by the government of Israel then, and one of the Cabinet members was Ariel Sharon. And after the briefing he introduced himself. He said, would you like to go on a helicopter ride and take a look at the West Bank. I said, "Are you flying?" No -- (laughter.) I said, you bet. It's interesting how history works, isn't it? In 1998, fall of 1998, the future President of the United States and the future Prime Minister of Israel were flying across the -- across that country, with him describing to me how to keep Israel secure. A couple of lessons I took away from there -- is, one, you know, how tiny the country is. You know, a guy from Texas, we got a lot of space there -- there's not a lot of space there. How vulnerable Israel can be. I also came away with the strong impression about how strong the people there -- not only want to defend themselves, but how much they love democracy, that democracy is a critical part of their existence. Ariel Sharon has shown great leadership, and he made a tough and courageous decision. He decided to withdraw from Gaza. I'll never forget when he came and told me that. My immediate reaction was, this is a bold step for peace, Mr. Prime Minister, and I support you. (Applause.)"