Best Friend of Israel

That's a phrase we often hear from American politicians courting the Jewish vote. Joe Biden used it last night during his debate with Gov. Sarah Palin and it brought to memory a meeting I had with him a few years ago.
Ariel Sharon had just been elected prime minister and Biden was on a rant about how bad Sharon would be for Israel. I was able to get a word in edgewise, no mean feat if you know Biden's rep, and told him I wasn't worried about Sharon but that the senator might direct his attention to Arafat.
A few months later, Sharon announced his disengagement plans that fell within Biden's advice for Israel. I dropped Biden a note asking him if he still held the same opinion of Sharon. No reply.
It seems that Biden and other "best friends" are friends to Israel so long as the Israelis adhere to the line announced by these friends. Cross that line and there is hell to pay.