Middle East Times, January 11, 2008
U.S. President George W. Bush before departing from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv Jan. 11. After concluding talks in Israel and the occupied West Bank, Bush flew on to Kuwait. (Newscom)
U.S. President George W. Bush concluded his
visit to Israel and the West Bank Friday, with a vision for a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal this year that brushes aside historically intractable issues and raises Arab fears of a hasty solution that overlooks the roots of the conflict.
Before heading to Kuwait at the start of his tour to allied Arab Gulf states to seek support against Iran, Bush on Thursday delivered a statement that has brought back memories of a similar declaration that represents the start of the Middle East conflict: the Balfour Declaration of 1917 that promised a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine.
On his first official visit to the region, the U.S. president was confident that a Palestinian-Israeli peace accord could be reached before he leaves the White House in January 2009, but stressed that the two sides need to "make difficult choices."
Bush said upon his departure from Tel Aviv that he intends to return in May, to attend Israel's 60th anniversary.
No comments:
Post a Comment