US Vice President Dick Cheney warned Palestinians Sunday that anti-Israeli attacks were killing hopes for their long overdue state. According to the AP, Cheney held talks with the Palestinian leader after arriving in Ramallah following a string of meetings with senior Israeli officials during which he also discussed the Jewish state's arch foe Iran.
"A difficult but immutable truth must continue to be told: Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said during a joint public appearance president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank.
"As President (George W) Bush has said, the establishment of a state of Palestine is long overdue and the Palestinian people deserve it," Cheney said.
On his part, the Palestinian leader said that peace required for Israel to stop its controversial activities like settlements and military operations. "Security and peace will not be realised with the continuation of the settlement activities, the establishment of roadblocks around cities and villages, the military escalations in the Gaza Strip, and the continuing military operations in the cities and towns of the West Bank," Abbas said.
Upon arriving in Israel late on Saturday, Cheney promised an "unshakeable" defence of Israel's security while assuring Palestinians of US "goodwill". "We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward and also obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats we see emerging in the region," he said on Sunday.
