Bush sees hope in Middle East peace plan

The search for Middle East peace has reached an “historic moment” an optimistic US president George Bush declared today.

Mr Bush, on the first day of his tour of the region, said he was “very hopeful” that his initiative would help achieve a breakthrough.

Meanwhile Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert insisted both Israelis and Palestinians were “very seriously” trying to find a way to live in peace.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Mr Bush, Mr Olmert said Israel was serious about implementing the “road map” peace plan for creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel.

“Both sides, I believe, are very seriously trying to move forward in order to realize the vision” of two states living side by side in peace, Mr Olmert said.

Referring to rocket attacks on southern Israel today, Mr Olmert said “there will be no peace unless terror is stopped.” Israel “will not tolerate the continuation of these vicious attacks,” he said.

Two rockets hit houses in Sderot, an Israeli town next to Gaza, as Mr Bush began his visit. The Israeli military hit back, targeting Gaza rocket squads and killing three people.

Mr Bush said his first question to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas when they meet tomorrow will be, “What are you going to do about” the rockets.

Mr Bush said that peace meant concessions from both sides and that Arab states must “support the Palestinians as they make tough choices.”

Bush said he was “very hopeful” he could achieve an agreement. He said this is a “historic moment, a historic opportunity” to make peace, and both sides have the willingness and desire to create a Palestinian state.

Mr Olmert pledged to implement all of Israel’s obligations under the “road map” plan.

In November, at a US-organised peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to restart long frozen peace talks and aim for a peace agreement by the end of 2008, before Mr Bush leaves office.

Addressing the subject of Iran, Mr Bush said that Iran remains “a threat to world peace” despite a recent US intelligence report concluding that Iran has suspended its nuclear weapons program. He said that sanctions would force the Iranian people to choose whether to back a nuclear program.

Concerning the weekend confrontation between Iranian and American warships off the coast of Iran, he said, “all options are on the table to secure our assets” and there will be serious consequences if Iran provokes another confrontation with US ships.

Mr Olmert said he was “encouraged and strengthened” by the American position on Iran. Despite the US intelligence report, Israel is convinced that Iran continues to seek nuclear weapons.

Israel considers Iran a major threat because of its nuclear potential its long-range missiles and repeated calls by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that Israel should be “wiped off the map.”