Earlier this month, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa also expressed pessimism on a peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel before the end of 2008.

There were no indications that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty could be concluded by the end of 2008 as promised by the U. S. administration, Moussa was quoted as saying in an interview with the Egyptian state MENA news agency.

Even U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, part of Bush's entourage, said on last Tuesday that reaching such a deal within the next eight months might be "improbable", though not impossible.

Bush's visit, which came on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel, was also criticized by Arabs. Dr. Elafa said that Bush's visit came at "a very bad time for all Palestinians and for all Arabs."

In 1948, the Jews drove out the Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and established a state. Every year, when Israel celebrates its anniversary, the Palestinians mark their catastrophe.

Bush's outspoken support for Israel, in contrast to his scarce mentioning of the plights of the Palestinians during his stay in Israel, also draw widespread protests in the Palestinian territories and criticism from the Arab world.

According to an earlier report of MENA, Speaker of the Interim Arab Parliament (IAP) Mohammad Jassem al-Saqr criticized Bush's visit to Israel on the occasion of Nakba (catastrophe).

He said the visit was sending wrong signals, noting it meant that the United States is consenting to Israeli practices against the Palestinians which run counter to the international legitimacy resolutions.