American President George W. Bush is optimistic that Israelis and Palestinians can reach an agreement before he leaves office in a year's time. Bush was speaking in an interview published Friday ahead of his arrival in the region next week. Bush added he plans to use his time in the Mideast to rally opposition to Iran's nuclear development, saying a recent U.S. intelligence report that claimed Tehran had suspended its program did not mean the danger was over.
The interview was published by the Israeli mass-circulation daily Yediot Ahronot.
"I believe. I'm an optimistic guy," Bush told the Hebrew daily. Israel and the Palestinians will have to agree on what exactly a Palestinian state will look like, Bush said, adding that during his visit he will reassure Israeli leaders that Israel will not have to live beside a Palestinian neighbor dedicated to its destruction.
"I'm going to promise the Israelis that under no circumstances will Israeli democracy be forced to live with a terror state on its border," Bush conveyed.
But Bush also said Israel had to uphold its own commitments, including removing Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank. "The Israeli government announced that it plans to get rid of the unauthorized outposts, and that's what we expect them to do. We expect the Israeli government to honor its commitments," Bush said.
Bush said he would use his time in the Mideast to "make very clear" to countries there states that the U.S. still views Iran as a threat. U.S. leader insisted that a recent U.S. intelligence report saying Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 "does not in any way detract from that threat, but in fact makes clear the size of the threat."
