In any divorce, there are three sides: his side, her side and the truth. This is equally applicable to Israel and Palestine. It's a shame then that Governor Bush chooses to split the world into goodies and baddies. This empty-headed fool is blatantly exploited by those he places around himself. And when not properly programmed by his staff, his statements are likely to be so outlandish as to be considered aberrations, should anyone take them seriously at all.

Or so conventional European thinking goes.

Yesterday's speech -- a new low point in US governance by all accounts -- nakedly entrenches Arafat's position in government. A disaster! we cry. Idiots! we parrot. But I for one never fully bought the idea that Bush was such an idiot. And it greatly underestimates the US administration's collective intelligence to suggest that the effect of yesterday's speech -- middle east conflict ad infinitum -- is not the intended one. The idea that the continuation of this struggle is in Bush and General Sharon's interests has received no attention.

Either way, yesterday's speech is the best possible PR for the Palestinian cause in Europe!