Short answer: Yes. George W. Bush has been one of the most consistently pro-Israel figures in modern American politics, from his first visit to Israel in 1998 through his presidency (2001-2009) and in his post-presidency commentary, including strong condemnation of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. As of August 2026, he is alive.
What George W Bush has actually said and done
November 1998: As governor of Texas, Bush made his first trip to Israel as a guest of the National Jewish Coalition. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon personally took him on a helicopter tour over the West Bank and Israeli military installations. Bush later called it one of the most meaningful experiences of his life, and the trip is widely credited with shaping him into one of the most pro-Israel figures in American political history, according to the Forward and the Canadian Jewish News.
2001-2009 (presidency): As president, Bush met repeatedly with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, backed Israel's right to self-defense, and in June 2003 met Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas at the Aqaba summit hosted by King Abdullah II of Jordan, as part of his "Roadmap for Peace" pushing a two-state solution alongside strong U.S.-Israel security ties, per the George W. Bush White House Archives.
October 7, 2023: The George W. Bush Institute issued a statement strongly condemning the Hamas attacks on Israel that day, urging the United States and its allies to "stand unequivocally with Israel, its government and people, and support Israel's right to defend itself," according to the Bush Presidential Center.
October 10, 2023 (published October 13, 2023): Speaking at a private event near Santa Barbara with historian Mark Updegrove, Bush said of the Israel-Hamas war, "My view is: One side is guilty, and it's not Israel," calling Hamas "cold-blooded killers" and predicting Israel's response would be justified: "It's going to be ugly for a while." Video of the remarks was published by Axios and reported by the Washington Times.
October 13, 2023: The same Axios-obtained video showed Bush also praising President Biden's handling of U.S. support for Israel following the October 7 attack, an unusual cross-party compliment from Bush, per Axios and Newsweek.
October 12, 2023: Five days after the Hamas attack, the George W. Bush Presidential Center published an essay, "We Stand With Israel Today and Beyond," reaffirming the Bush Center's continued institutional support for Israel's security in the aftermath of October 7, according to the Bush Presidential Center.
Context worth knowing
George W. Bush (born 1946) is Methodist and has no documented Jewish ancestry or Jewish-identity connection; his pro-Israel record rests on political alliance rather than heritage. His administration was notably staffed with prominent Jewish officials, including press secretary Ari Fleischer, a practicing Jew, a departure from the tone of his father's presidency. Historians, including retrospectives from Harvard's Belfer Center, note that while Bush was rhetorically and militarily supportive of Israel, his administration also pursued, and struggled to finalize, a two-state solution, and faced internal disagreement over how hard to press Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. That nuance is real, but it does not change the overall pro-Israel character of his record. No reporting ties Bush to BDS or any boycott of Israel; he has not participated in or endorsed any boycott movement. There is no documented record of direct personal financial donations to Israeli causes; his post-presidential engagement has come through public statements and the Bush Institute's institutional positions rather than individual gifts.
The bottom line
George W. Bush supports Israel. His record spans a formative 1998 visit under Ariel Sharon's guidance, a presidency that combined firm security backing for Israel with a push for a negotiated two-state solution, and post-presidency statements, most notably in October 2023, unambiguously backing Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas. He has no Jewish ancestry and no documented BDS or boycott involvement in either direction. As of August 2026, he is alive.
Wear your own support for Israel
Public figures like Bush have their record. For everyday supporters of Israel, wearing that support is simpler: our I Stand With Israel collection gives you a straightforward, everyday way to show where you stand, whether that means a bracelet, a tee, or a piece you wear daily.
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
