President Bush Claims a Peace Agreement Between Israelis And Palestinians Defining a Palestinian State is Possible This Year

President Bush in his radio address this week said he had good meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas and that both elected leaders are committed to peace in the Holy Land sharing a vision of two democratic states — Israel and Palestine — living side by side in peace and security.

The President said that a free and democratic homeland for the Palestinian people must be established, just as Israel is a free and democratic homeland for the Jewish people. The Israelis must have secure, recognized, and defensible borders and the Palestinians must have a state that is viable, contiguous, sovereign, and independent.

“I believe that a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that defines a Palestinian state is possible this year. Prime Minister Olmert made clear to me that he understands a democratic Palestinian state is in the long-term security interests of Israel. President Abbas is committed to achieving this Palestinian state through negotiation….

….The United States will do all we can to encourage these negotiations and promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. But the international community has a responsibility to help as well. In particular, the Arab nations of the Gulf have a responsibility both to support President Abbas, Prime Minister Fayyad, and other Palestinian leaders as they work for peace, and to work for a larger reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world. And in my meetings with Arab leaders over the next few days, I will urge them to do their part.”

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