I could sit you down for hours and tell you why I will not vote for President Bush when I mail in my absentee ballot in the coming election.I could tell you why the war in Iraq is wrong, a women's right to choose is sacred and public education needs more help than Bush will ever give. I could, but instead, I intend to write this column focused on the sole issue on which many of you will base your vote come November 2: Israel.

That tiny country in the Middle East, which many of us cherish so deeply, will determine how many American Jews vote next month.

I do not fault Jewish voters for being mindful of Israel when they enter the voting booth. After all, with an ethnic history of persecution and the constant peril facing Israel-the implications of which extend to all Jews-many Jews vote with their spiritual homeland in mind.

The wisdom of voting for an American president based solely on what he will do for another nation is not what I'm challenging here; to each his own. But for those who do intend to vote based only on Israel: Bush is the wrong choice.

"The differences among Democrats and Republicans are not about the size of the commitment to Israel. It is more about what the commitment means, and what policies to pursue to help Israeli and American interests," Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland recently told Fox News.

Like Telhami, I don't doubt Bush's commitment to Israel, but I do doubt the actual motives behind his commitment and whether he is a true friend of the Jews.

Debate me all you want, but anyone who can point to the New Testament and agree with its idea that only Christians have a place in heaven, as Bush admitted doing, is not a true friend of me or any other Jews.

"Bush pointed to the Bible: only Christians had a place in heaven. 'I said, Mom, look, all I can tell you is what the New Testament says,'" it was written in a Sept. 13, 1998 New York Times article. The notion that our commander-in-chief subscribes so deeply to what is fundamentalist rhetoric should unnerve all Americans, especially Jews.

A president who can trust former Secretary of State James Baker III as a close adviser and personal friend-evidenced by Baker's roles as Bush's lead attorney in the 2000 Florida recount, a special envoy for the president in Iraq and the Bush-Cheney campaign's negotiator for the presidential debates-is not a friend of the Jews. He is widely known for this infamous comment shortly before the 1992 election: "Fuck the Jews. They don't vote for us any way."

Another issue is the administration's affinity for oil-rich nations, many of which publicly call for Israel's destruction. Very few members of the Arab League recognize Israel.

"Over the long term, America cannot win the war against Islamic fascism until we wean our dependence on autocratic Middle Eastern oil regimes," Eli Valley wrote in August in The Jerusalem Post.

This being the case, I must question why Bush has made so little effort toward this goal, which is also important to the welfare of Israel. When the administration turns a blind eye to the terrorist networks that operate inside these oil-producing nations for economic advantages, it in a way legitimizes their aggression toward Israel. Bush's appointment of Robert Jordan, a partner at Baker's law firm, further illustrates the frightening ties this administration has no problem establishing.

Bush's close ties to the House of Saud both through family connections and his personal relationship with the Saudi ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, are well-documented. The Saudi monarchy, as well as the governments of many of the other Arab states, is well served by the distractions afforded by the continuing morass of the Palestinian refugee problem. I question whether we would continue to garner the president's support if it meant opposing his close friends in Saudi Arabia, which has reportedly been funneling money to the families of suicide bombers.

The president's initial ignorance of the Middle East, combined with his failure to follow up and implement his "road map" for peace, has only exacerbated the terrorism that the Jews face daily in Israel. Since taking office, he has failed to support and encourage moderates in the Palestinian leadership, resulting in the ascendancy and resignation (one rescinded) of two moderate Palestinian prime ministers.

He has also flip-flopped on the issue of the most benign defense the Israelis could put up against the relentless terrorism of the Palestinians-the fence to cordon off sections of the West Bank. When former Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen visited the White House two years ago, President Bush criticized Israel's construction of this wall. But recently, perhaps as a result of political pressure, he expressed support for the wall. Ironically, to paraphrase the president, a leader must be consistent.

As a Jew and a fervent supporter of Israel, I am scared of four more years of Bush. I want a president who respects my religion and my equality. Bush is not my man.