President Bush said Israel had a right to retaliate if it suffered an “unprovoked” attack from Iraq “tomorrow.” Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Bush said, “If Iraq were to attack Israel tomorrow, I’m sure there would be an appropriate response.” A White House spokesman later clarified that Bush’s comments did not indicate a position on Israeli retaliation if Iraq attacks it in the course of a U.S.-led war against Iraq.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
