JERUSALEM, 10 January 2008 — US President George W. Bush said he saw a fresh opportunity for peace in the Middle East as he arrived in the region yesterday at the start of an eight-day tour of the region.
With Israel on top security alert, Bush flew in for his first presidential visit to the Jewish state and Palestinian territories, seeking to score a foreign policy triumph in his last year in office by forging a long-elusive Middle East peace deal.
However, the White House lowered any expectations the trip would produce an early breakthrough with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley telling reporters on Bush’s plane that the US “is not looking for big deliverables out of a trip of this sort.”
Israel rolled out a full red carpet ceremony, with dignitaries welcoming the leader of its closest ally on the tarmac at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv when Air Force One touched down.
“We see a new opportunity for peace here in the Holy Land and for freedom across the region,” declared Bush, who has pledged to advance peace talks with a view to creating a Palestinian state before the end of this year, his last as president. Bush will visit Ramallah today for talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
