By Seth Mandel
The Jewish State

Sometimes candor comes from the strangest of sources.

These days, we often don't seem to expect honesty from anyone but our parents and our rabbi. When it comes to Israel or the Jewish people, is there anyone on the outside whose words we don't parse for evidence of double agency?

During the Second Lebanon War last summer between the Israel Defense Forces and the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the following quote surprised me, not for its content, but because of its source:

"There's no place on the record where, as a result of a negotiation, a terrorist organization has said, 'OK, we give up, great treaty.'"

It was honest -- brutally so, actually -- with a hint of condescension; I can think of any number of friends or colleagues who would have said such a thing.

But it wasn't a sarcastic remark made at the dinner table, lamenting the international community's push for a cease-fire during the war while two Israeli soldiers remained in the hands of Iranian- and Syrian-sponsored terrorists. It was made by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow on July 24, 2006, in the White House briefing room.

And it was no aberration. Less than one week prior, on July 18, 2006, Snow showed that when pushed, he could and would push back.

Helen Thomas, the senior White House correspondent, is often referred to as the "first lady of the press." It is a title that apparently allows Thomas to be out of touch, yet arrogant. That's okay when Snow is in the room, because when Thomas doesn't know her place, Snow does, and will happily put her there.

Thomas: "The United States is not that helpless. It could have stopped the bombardment of Lebanon. We have that much control with the Israelis."

Snow: "I don't think so, Helen."

Thomas: "We have gone for collective punishment against all of Lebanon and Palestine. And this is what's happening, and that's the perception of the United States."

Snow: "Well, thank you for the Hezbollah view."

Thomas went on to accuse the U.S. of stopping a cease-fire, which Snow explained was false. Thomas then claimed the U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution about a cease-fire, which Snow also had to explain was untrue.

Norman Podhoretz, in a recent interview with his daughter, Ruthie Blum, in the Jerusalem Post, gave us a lesson in political hakarat hatov, showing proper gratitude.

"George W. Bush is by far the friendliest president Israel has ever had," he said, "and the failure of Jews to recognize and appreciate this is not just politically stupid, but a moral disgrace."

Powerful words. But was it President George W. Bush alone? Or was his entire cabinet so pro-Israel?

The answer -- which is both good and bad news -- was that it was mostly just Bush. Which is what made the hiring of Tony Snow, in April 2006, that much more of a stroke of subtle genius. As Snow, whose cancer is in remission but is facing some financial difficulties, is set to retire from his post on Sept. 14, it would behoove us to look back over the last 17 months with a touch of hakarat hatov.

Bush isn't exactly the Great Communicator, which at times has enabled him to (sometimes unwittingly) show his true colors as not a master politician, but rather a man in possession of morals, convictions, and an honesty that sometimes troubles both his friends and his critics.

Hiring Snow was not a case of fighting fire (a left-leaning press corps) with fire (a former conservative newsman). It was a case of hiring someone who already shared many of the president's values and could articulate those values better than just about anyone. It was a bonus that Snow was able to establish a rapport with the White House press corps that eclipsed any of his predecessors'.

For example, just into his tenure as press secretary, Newsweek offered the following story:

During Tuesday afternoon's press briefing, Thomas was grilling Snow on what role, if any, the United States was playing in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians over a two-state peace deal. Snow told Thomas that Washington was operating 'the same as it's always been' and was working with Israel and 'when possible' with the Palestinians.

'Then why is it bankrupting the Palestinians?' Thomas shot back.

Snow clutched the side of the podium. 'The Palestinians are not being bankrupted, Helen,' Snow said, smiling. 'Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not give money to terrorist organizations.'

'They were democratically elected,' Thomas insisted.

'They were democratically elected, and they're still a terrorist organization,' Snow replied.

'By your designation,' Thomas snapped.

'Yes, thank you very much, Helen,' Snow shot back.

That could have been a scene straight out of one of (immediate past press secretary) Scott McClellan's combative press briefings, if it weren't for what happened next. From the podium, Snow looked down at Thomas sitting in her front-row seat and noticed the veteran reporter was clutching a shiny red apple.

'By the way, that's a nice apple,' Snow grinned.

'Here,' Thomas instantly replied, offering the new press secretary her apple.

As the press room erupted in laughter, Snow dramatically leapt from the podium and grabbed the apple, placing it front and center on the lectern. 'Whoever thought that Helen Thomas would kiss up to me,' Snow said, laughing. 'An apple for the teacher.'

'Hardly!' Thomas shouted from the front row. But she was smiling -- and so was every other reporter in the room.

Though the authors' dour prediction on Snow's tenure as press secretary was quite alarmingly off the mark (Snow was, as we found out, a top-notch press secretary that possibly was born for the job), its message was clear: Snow knew how to handle reporters, especially hostile ones.

Snow's record on Israel was clear from the start, as well. In 2001, powerhouse media monitor Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) praised Snow's handling of pit bull Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi on Fox News in Oct. 2000.

The segment's discussion was about former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement about the favorite Palestinian pastime of putting children in harm's way. Ashrawi responded by saying that Arabs would never do that, and her proof was that Palestinian schools had been closed when the Israeli army was pursuing terrorists in the area.

Snow pointed out that Ashrawi was lying through her teeth.

"On calling the general strike and letting people get out of school, that happened before the violence flared," Snow told an agitated Ashrawi. "The violence really flared up after that happened . . . and so it cannot have been done to protect people."

Ashrawi called Snow's comment "Israeli talking points," to which, Snow responded, "Well, we don't get Israeli talking points. So I would be happy to accept them if you want to forward them."

CAMERA reported that on Aug. 19, 2001, Snow again was able to discredit and discard Ashrawi's arguments.

On July 26, 2006, after international leaders had met in Rome to discuss the IDF-Hezbollah war, Snow was asked if we were any closer to stopping the violence.

"Again, the violence starts with Hezbollah," Snow answered. "We don't stop the violence, they do."

The next day, Snow was again facing a barrage of questions on the war (though at that time it was still called a "military conflict"). Since Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there was an "urgent need" to end the violence in the region, Snow was asked, would Bush consider a moratorium on sending any new munitions to Israel?

"There is an urgent need to end the violence," Snow agreed. "There is also an urgent need for Israel to defend itself. We will continue to abide by our treaty obligations."

Having to constantly answer questions arbitrarily accusing Israel of this or that is not a fun job; it is even less so for an American. But Snow does it with aplomb, good humor, and an uncanny ability to alleviate tension. In August 2006, Snow began his briefing by talking to the press about the new press briefing room. He told them it would be a "more congenial and helpful work environment for all."

"Better answers?" came the question from the press.

"In response to better questions," Snow responded without missing a beat.

Thus, at times, Snow was so good at being the voice of the president (and often his translator), that he would be treated with the respect due a president.

It sounds bizarre, but the press briefing at which Bush announced Snow's resignation, on Aug. 31, was an eye-opening piece of evidence to that fact. In the current political climate, those who do not agree with Bush tend to disagree vehemently with him. In fact, all too often Bush doesn't actually have to speak to incur the wrath of his detractors -- it's like the anti-Na'aseh v'Nishmah, "we will not do, and we will hear."

Yet, Snow -- whose job it is to spin the president's words to be palatable for public consumption, is revered by the press for his ability to stop the press in their tracks.

After announcing Snow's impending departure, Bush relinquished the podium for Snow. Before Snow could get there, however, a member of the press corps started at Bush "You've lost a lot of members in your administration...."

After concluding that portion of the briefing, the president thanked the audience. He was repaid with the following question, yelled out by one of the reporters: "How do you feel about losing everybody?"

Yet that's how the awkward briefing felt, as though Snow would be turning out the White House lights when he left.

When Snow began the actual briefing, the sadness was palpable.

"Why are you leaving?" was one question. "What are you going to say about us in your book?" was the next.

One reporter jokingly told Snow that Fox News never took Snow's name off the door of his former office. Another reporter began his question by saying, "First of all, I wish you all the best and I pray for you, and God bless you."

"Thank you, Tony. I will really miss you," began another.

When Snow was actually asked about the president's unpopularity, he reminded the press corps that Bush's approval ratings may be down, but other polls show that the public trusts and admires their president -- they just don't like the war. The public's understandable anxiety over the war tends to show up in their ratings of Bush's job approval, he said, but the president's legacy 20 or 30 years from now will not be a poll, it will be the accomplishments and consequences of the decisions he makes today.

At a recent Hudson Institute-sponsored event, Snow addressed a crowd in Manhattan on the Iraq war. It was a rousing and informative speech, especially since there are precious few reporters left in Iraq, and even fewer using reliable sources, so the encouraging facts on the ground are quite absent from most media reports on the war.

While introducing Snow at the event, which took place only weeks before Snow would announce he was stepping down, Hudson Institute President Herb London called Snow "our little drummer boy," ready to drum us to victory.

Let's hope the beat goes on.