U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vowed to continue support for Israel, which is "the strongest ally and friend" of the United States in the Middle East.
U.S. President George W. Bush (L) tours the gardens of the President's Residence with Israeli President Shimon Peres (R) in Jerusalem May 14, 2008.
Bush, who arrived in Israel earlier Wednesday on the occasion of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, made the remarks during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the latter's official residence in Jerusalem.
"The objective of the United States must be to support our strongest ally and friend in the Middle East... and, at the same time, talk about a hopeful future," Bush was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying, signaling his aim to make a new push for Israeli-Palestinian peace on the three-day trip.
Bush also said 60 years of democracy in Israel is the reason for optimism for democratic change throughout the Middle East.
"What happened here is possible everywhere," he said.
U.S. President George W. Bush (L) meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the President's Residence in Jerusalem May 14, 2008. The president is on a five-day swing in the Middle East with scheduled stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt before returning to the United States on Sunday.
The U.S. president has expressed optimism that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement would be reached before his term ends while having little hope for a major breakthrough during this trip.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, part of Bush's entourage, said Tuesday that reaching such a deal within the next eight months might be improbable but it's not impossible.
