News coverage of this important meeting was remarkable for the disparity between the actual content of the meeting, and how the media represented it. Though Bush and Sharon largely conveyed mutual support and understanding, the media described a supposed 'Texas showdown' over the Israeli community of Maale Adumim, just to the east of Jerusalem, which the Israeli government has recently spoken of expanding.

PRE-MEETING COVERAGE

The day began with media outlets predicting the leaders would clash over settlements at Crawford. Take, for example, this CNN headline:

The LA Times also built up the 'tension' and 'discord' in its pre-meeting headline:

THE MEETING ITSELF

At the actual press conference, President Bush emphasized the following points, in this order (see transcript here):

1) Israeli security: 'The United States is committed to Israel's security.. (under) secure and defensible borders.'

2) Economics: 'We discussed ways to expand cooperation of our economies.'

3) Gaza Plan: 'Sharon is showing visionary leadership... I strongly support his courageous initiative to disengage from Gaza and part of the West Bank.'

4) Growth of Democracy: 'the important and encouraging changes taking place in the region, including a Palestinian election.'

5) U.S. support of Palestinian state

6) Joint commitment to road map

7) Need for 'an immediate, strong and sustained effort to combat terrorism in all its forms'

8) Settlements: 'Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its road map obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank... (but) As I said last April, new realities on the ground make it unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949.