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Mid-East deal in sight, says Bush | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
It is "absolutely possible and necessary" for Israel and the Palestinians to agree a peace deal this year, President George W Bush says. | |
Mr Bush was speaking after groundbreaking talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. | |
Mr Bush also said Israel must "help and not hinder" efforts to create credible Palestinian security forces. | |
Mr Bush is meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders as part of efforts to push a US-sponsored peace process. | |
It is his first trip to Israel and the West Bank since taking office in 2001. | |
He is trying to use the visit to push forward stalling Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which were relaunched last November. | |
His meeting with Mr Abbas took place amid a massive security operation in Ramallah, where Mr Abbas's headquarters are located. | |
'Tough choices' | |
Speaking after about 90 minutes of talks with the Palestinian president, which followed a meeting with the Israeli prime minister on Wednesday, Mr Bush said he was sure both men "understand the importance of two states living side by side in peace". | |
President Abbas and Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert have to come together and make tough choices, and I'm convinced they will President Bush Middle East tour diaryIn pictures: Bush visit | |
But, he said, "in order for there to be lasting peace, President Abbas and Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert have to come together and make tough choices, and I'm convinced they will. | |
"And I believe it possible - not only possible, I believe it's going to happen - that there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office." | |
Mr Bush said Israel should not harm the process by undermining the formation of the effectiveness of the Palestinian security forces. | |
But he also said the process depended on Palestinians choosing the "vision" of peace and their own independent state. | |
For his part, Mr Abbas welcomed Mr Bush's "commitment to the peace process", which he said the Palestinian people would not forget. | |
He said the two sides had begun discussions on the core issues that divide them, and said he wanted a resolution before the end of the year, when Mr Bush is due to leave office. | |
Massive disruption for visitLasting legacy? | |
Mr Bush had been due to arrive in Ramallah by helicopter, but heavy fog forced the president to travel in a motorcade instead. | Mr Bush had been due to arrive in Ramallah by helicopter, but heavy fog forced the president to travel in a motorcade instead. |
He was greeted by Mr Abbas at his walled headquarters, the Muqata, and the two men briefly clutched hands as they walked up the red carpet. | |
All vehicles were been banned from the roads in districts around the headquarters of Mr Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president. | |
Snipers and thousands of other Palestinian and US security agents have flooded the area in the huge operation to safeguard the president's security. | |
Mr Bush is an unpopular figure among Palestinians who view him as being overwhelmingly pro-Israeli. | |
Hamas excluded | Hamas excluded |
Correspondents say a central obstacle to a peace deal is the internal division among the Palestinians, with the Gaza Strip controlled by Mr Abbas's foes, the militant group Hamas. | |
Rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza continue, with more rockets fired on Thursday morning according to the Israeli military. | |
href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Israeli and Palestinian views on US leader's visit href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures | |
A key issue is how President Abbas can hope to halt such attacks, say correspondents. | |
The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and Mr Bush has no plans to visit Gaza. | The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and Mr Bush has no plans to visit Gaza. |
At a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November, Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas agreed to pursue a peace agreement leading to a two-state solution in 2008. | |
Mr Abbas has said he would like to see an end to settlement-building by the Israelis, and the easing Israeli-imposed travel restrictions in the West Bank. | |
Mr Bush said he understands Palestinian frustrations about Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank but argued that they were necessary for Israelis to feel secure. | |