Bush gives tips to solve thorny issues

JERUSALEM, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. President George W. Bush Thursday summarized his two-day talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and gave his suggestions to solve the thorniest issues on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, except control of Jerusalem.

On the future Palestinian state and its borders, Bush said that a Palestinian state should be viable, contiguous and sovereign.

"There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967,"he said, referring to the Palestinian West Bank which is still under Israel's military control.

"While territory is an issue for both parties to decide, I believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and to insure that the Palestinian state is viable and contiguous," he said.

"The agreement (between Israel and the Palestinians) must establish a Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people," said Bush.

In the 1967 third Middle East war, Israel seized several pieces of Arab land, including the Palestinian West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights.

Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in the 1980s and withdrew the Palestinian Gaza Strip in 2005. But it still occupies the West Bank and Syria's Golan Heights.

Though Bush didn't say how to deal with the Golan Heights, he called on Arab states to reach out to Israel, saying such a step was long overdue.

"I call upon the Arab countries to reach out to Israel ¡V a step that is long overdue," he said.

By now in the Arab world, only Egypt and Jordan recognize Israel and have diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. While the other Arab nations, including regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia and Syria, have refused to recognize Israel.

On Israel's settlement expansion, Bush asserted that the Jewish state must stop expanding settlements and remove illegal outposts.

U.S. President George W. Bush(L) and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hold a joint news conference following their meeting at Olmert's residence in Jerusalem, Wednesday Jan. 9, 2008. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

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"On the Israeli side that includes ending settlement expansion and removing unauthorized outposts," Bush said. "On the Palestinian side that includes confronting terrorists. No agreement and no Palestinian state will be born of terror."

Israel had said it would continue to construct settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, even after the U.S.-hosted Annapolis peace conference in November, which help to relaunch the stalled Mideast peace process.

Israel's decision has caused an uproar from the Palestinian side, which was the first to blame for the fact that the first two rounds of peace negotiations between the two sides since Dec. 12had not yielded any tangible result.

Over the Palestinian refugee issue, Bush proposed "new international mechanisms" to solve it. But he failed to elaborate over these mechanisms.

"I believe we need to look to the establishment of a Palestinian state and new international mechanisms including compensation to resolve the refugee issue," said Bush. "A Palestinian state must resolve the refugee issue."

Over the control of Jerusalem, Bush admitted the thorniness of the issue instead of offering advice.

"I know Jerusalem is a tough issue. Both sides have deeply felt political and religious concerns," he said.

Control over the holy city of Jerusalem has been seen as the most sensitive and thorniest issue for the decades-long conflict. The city is of special importance to both the Arabs and the Israeli as it comprises major religious sites.

The Palestinians, with support from Arab states, are seeking to set up a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. But the Jewish state says the city is the eternal capital of Israel.

"I fully understand that finding a solution to this issue will be one of the most difficult challenges on the road to peace, but that is the road they have chosen to walk," said Bush. Bush called on Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement by the end of 2008, as they agreed to do at the Annapolis peace conference.

"The agreement must establish Palestine as homeland for the Palestinian people, and must ensure that Israel has secure, recognized and defensible borders while Palestine is viable sovereign contiguous and independent," he said.

"A peace agreement should happen and can happen by the end of this year. I know both leaders share this important goal and I am committed to helping both sides achieve it," Bush said.

Right after Bush delivered his statement, U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters that Bush would probably return to the Middle East at least once before leaving office in January 2009.

"Bush is willing to come to the region again," said Hadley, who is traveling with Bush.

"I think you will see him back in the region at least one time, maybe more, before he leaves," said Hadley, adding that Bush was hoping to do more to push forward the peace process.

Bush, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday noon to start an eight-day regional tour, is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories for the first time since he took office in 2000.

His visit was partly aimed at advancing the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians after the Annapolis peace conference.

Following Israel and the Palestinian territories, Bush will also visit Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. And there are media reports speculating that he will also make a surprise visit to Iraq.