In his historic address to the Israeli Knesset during his recent visit to Israel, US President George W. Bush told a charming story about a British officer, on the eve of the withdrawal of the Mandate forces which set the stage for Israel's proclamation of independence, presenting a key to Zion Gate to a rabbi in the old City of Jerusalem.

This story actually appeared in this column in the Parshat Yitro issue (January 26). What is even more interesting is that in the same week that the president arrived I had just e-mailed the source of the story to a reader who asked permission to use it in a book he was writing.

A telepathic cue for President Bush?