BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

by Gil Hoffman Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's nemesis, Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, continued his recent shift to the Right on Monday when he visited the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Shalom was received warmly in Hebron, where Netanyahu withdrew IDF forces from most of the city when he was prime minister in 1997. In what was interpreted as an attack on Netanyahu, Shalom said he believed the settlements around Hebron were a bloc that must permanently remain under Israeli control. He also criticized the government's handling of the ongoing Arab violence in Jerusalem. He said it was intolerable that even though the Temple Mount was under Israeli control, Israeli forces had to constantly work to protect Jews in the area. "I have gone up to the Temple Mount in the past, and Jews have a right to go there," Shalom told a large crowd at the Cave of the Patriarchs. "The events at the Temple Mount today must serve as a wake-up call for everyone. We are the soverei...

Bush Pays Surprise Visit to Reality (A little 'hump day' levity) President Calls Two-Hour Stop in Real World ‘Informative’ President George W. Bush departed from his planned itinerary this past Labor Day to make a surprise visit to reality, later calling the two-hour stop in the real world “informative.” For Mr. Bush, the visit to reality, while brief, was still significant because it represented his first visit to the real world since being elected President in 2000. “The President has not visited reality the entire time he’s been in the White House,” one aide said. “The closest he’s come is watching ‘Survivor.’” Mr. Bush touched down in the real world a little after dawn, delivering a brief address on the airport runway in which he attempted to put the best face on his relationship with reality, a relationship which has been frayed in recent years. But beneath the smiles and positive statements, Mr. Bush’s aides seemed well aware that the President’s relationship with reality...