Obama in Jerusalem

Best news line of the week:

Even in Israel, where Obama deftly performed what might be called a LeChaim-lich Manoeuvre – a full-on embrace to unstick the last of those American Jewish voters who can't help but choke on the candidate's middle name – the campaign appeared to attain all that it wanted.

Read the full article in the Toronto Star.

Later in the same article we read:

But mere moments after Obama departed Jerusalem, an Israeli seminary student retrieved and passed on for publication the prayer note Obama stuffed into the revered Western Wall. The rabbi in charge of the wall condemned the move, saying it intruded on Obama's relationship with "his maker."

For the record the text of Obama's note to God was duly reported in the Israeli "Maariv" (though other Israeli media refused to publish it. Since it has been now reproduced in sveral newspapers, I will so so too, below:

"Lord - Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

This is so smooth, one could be forgiven for suspecting that Obama suspected his words might make their way to the press.

A skeptical New York Post reports:

Several handwriting experts who have examined other pieces of Obama's writing said his penmanship suggests a different mood than in the past.

"There's nothing in it that makes you think he's not sincere with what he's saying, but it's actually making him feel very different than his [usual] energetic handwriting," said Michelle Dresbold, author of "Sex, Lies and Handwriting."

Expert Arlene Leachman said that when he wrote "forgive me," there was "too much space between forgive and me, so he probably doesn't feel he needs to be forgiven."

I myself will reserve judgment. But I will note that this is the first and only time I can recalled anyone's written prayer at the Kotel being revealed yet alone analyzed. Obama remains a unique phenomenon.