DOV TALES
by Dov Burt Levy

You know that much of politics is political theater, scripts designed to make the actors look good and give the audience a sense of pride and well-being. How well we know that during this election cycle, as some 20 presidential wannabees ply their theatrical trade. So, let's look at President Bush's Newly Revised Middle East Peace Process plan as a film, a sequel to a sequel to a sequel stretching back for decades. Something like Bruce Willis's "Die Hard" series, except, as my friend Bernie put it, "Bush is no Willis."

On July 16, President Bush announced his plan to revive the Middle East Peace Process.

Co-star Ehud Olmert, a new actor and Israel's prime minister, replaces Ariel Sharon, who remains shrouded in a coma in Israel; Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, replaces the late Yasser Arafat.

The famous quartet (the United States, Russia, the European Union and the U.N.) will recite their familiar lines.

The extras from previous movies, AIPAC, ADL, and the American Jewish Committee, have already jumped to support the Bush initiative.

Entering from the political left, Peace Now criticized the plan for leaving Hamas out of the cast of characters.

And from stage right, the Zionist Organization of America argued that Abbas is like Arafat, a bad actor, not to be trusted to make peace with Israel, even if Israel were to make major concessions.

The Arab League and the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) have added their stinting praise.

President Bush's opening speech was well scripted, a future vision of "two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security."

Bush said, "The Palestinian people must decide that they want a future of decency and hope — not a future of terror and death. They must match their words denouncing terror with action to combat terror… They must work to stop attacks on Israel, and to free the Israeli soldier held hostage by extremists."

Of Israel, he asked that unauthorized West Bank outposts be removed and settlement expansion ended.

Well, the film still has problems. First, popularity ratings of the principal actors (Bush, Abbas and Olmert) are so low that the film will surely bomb. Who in the audience will take them seriously? Who will pay the production costs of lots of money for Palestinian economic advancement, although that is the easiest thing for Western governments to do.

George Bush's approval hovers in the 20 percent range, the lowest among modern U.S. presidents. Every week, the nation groans over a new outrage: Scooter Libby's pardon, political firings of federal prosecutors, substandard facilities at Walter Reed for wounded soldiers, and more.

But co-star Ehud Olmert was even lower, down to a one percent approval rating a year ago in the days following the Lebanon war, lower than Benito Mussolini on the day he was hanged by partisans.

As for Mahmoud Abbas, there was a referendum on his popularity last year when opposition Hamas topped the first democratic election in that part of the world.

The low rating of the actors is both good and bad news. The bad news is their lack of political heft. The good news is that all three are so desperate to stay in office and improve their legacies that motivation for peace abounds. But is that enough?

Some possible surprises in the film, two wild cards, men on the world stage for many years, yet playing new roles today, are named Tony Blair and Shimon Peres.

Retiring from a mostly successful long run as British prime minister, Tony Blair has become special envoy of the quartet. Smart and indefatigable, he has a great theatrical voice.

The other wild card, Shimon Peres, in his speech accepting the presidency of Israel this month, vowed to advance Israeli-Arab peace prospects. Peres is persistence personified.

What do I think, as your resident political scientist, columnist and film critic?

If this film ends with a serious and enforceable peace treaty, in the present environment, with these actors, and the tired old scripts, it will be a miracle akin to the Burning Bush or the Boston Red Sox' World Series victory.

I have zero optimism, except for that little sliver of hope that always stays alive in my heart.