Bush, Mideast leaders voice measured optimism about prospects for peace

WASHINGTON -- President Bush stepped cautiously into the most direct Mideast peacemaking of his administration Monday, meeting separately with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to explore whether peace is possible.

A day ahead of a major Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, Md., Bush said he was optimistic. The gathering is to launch the first direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians of Bush's nearly seven years in office, and has attracted Arab and other outside backing.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have already said they want to conclude a bargain within the 14 months that Bush has left in office.

Bush emerged from an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and told him: "I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible. I'm optimistic. I know that you're optimistic."

Next, he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who stressed the need to address issues of Palestinian statehood, sticking points that have doomed previous peace efforts.

"We have a great deal of hope that this conference will produce permanent status negotiations, expanded negotiations, over all permanent status issues that would lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people," he said. "This is a great initiative and we need [Bush[']s] continuing effort to achieve this objective."

Olmert said international support -- from Bush and also, presumably, from the Arab nations that will attend the conference -- could make this effort succeed where others have failed.

"This time, it's different because we are going to have a lot of participation in what I hope will launch a serious process negotiation between us and the Palestinians," Olmert said. He was referring to the talks expected to begin in earnest after this week's U.S.-hosted meetings.

"We and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good," Olmert said. As to timing, he added later: "We definitely will have to sit down very soon."

Some in Bush's administration doubt that a settlement is possible in such a short time frame and have reservations about whether the Palestinians in particular are ready to make necessary concessions.

The goal of the talks is to set up an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Bush's tempered outlook as he readied the Annapolis conference suggested he has his own misgivings, although administration spokesmen said the United States will remain closely involved after today's session closes.

"The president is personally committed to moving this process forward; Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice is personally committed to moving this process forward," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday.

"But ultimately, it's going to come down to the two parties and bridging the differences that now exist between them on all the issues that we know are out there."