Power must be used while you still have it. Perhaps that explains what's going on between US President George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. With American forces becoming ever more deeply committed in Iraq, this logic may now apply to both leaders. 

As I've been reporting, the Bush Administration desperately needs the help of the international community in Iraq. And, the European Union sees this as an opportunity. No, not an opportunity to help an old ally. I think they see it instead as an opportunity to finally get something they've been wanting for a long time -- a bigger role in the Middle East peace process.

And I think the Bush Administration may have agreed. The reason I say this is because when Bush was in Britain he gave a speech critical of Israel. At about the same time the news broke that the UN Security Council unanimously passed a Russian sponsored resolution endorsing the Road Map and making it international law. Since the vote was unanimous, Washington must have voted for it too. 

But I think the EU leaders wanted a little more from Bush than just a vote and a critical speech. Like I've been reporting, I believe the EU leaders also wanted, when the time comes for the enforcement of the Road Map, to be able to place their own forces on the ground in Israel. Why do I believe this? For one thing, the Bible prophecies suggest this is what ultimately will happen. For another, the recent joint EU/NATO exercise appeared to be practice for the same situation we find in Israel (What Herb thinks 11-13-03).

So this was the setting in Rome when Sharon met in secret with U.S. special envoy Eliot Abrams (Read about it here). And, it looks like Bush offered Sharon a deal he couldn't refuse. I say this because now it's being reported Sharon is suddenly ready to go back to the peace table with the Palestinians (Read about it here).

What would be the logic behind a deal Sharon can't refuse? This is what I think: Power must be used while you still have it. If Bush wants to help Israel, he has to do it now while he still has the power to do so. It won't be long until the EU may be sending to Israel their own EU/NATO forces with a command independent from America. And for Sharon the logic was the same -- if he wants America's help, he had better take it now.

But no matter the logic, I think it's a deal Israel can't refuse.