Bush and Olmert in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
By David Jackson, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON ? President Bush expressed strong support Tuesday for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a voice of moderation in the battle with the militant Hamas movement, but appeared to distance his administration from new Middle East peace talks.
"We share a common vision of two states living side by side in peace," Bush said before a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Bush declined to say whether he would endorse new talks between Israel and the Palestinians, saying of Olmert: "Ask him if he's going to talk to Abbas; I'm not going to put words in his mouth."
As for possible regional talks with Syria, Bush said, "If the prime minister wants to negotiate with Syria, he doesn't need me to mediate."
Olmert said he has proposed bi-weekly meetings with Abbas. He said one goal is "to fight terror in the most effective way." Another is preparing the "groundwork" for a Palestinian state.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Israel | George W Bush | Palestinian | West Bank | Gaza | Hamas | Mahmoud Abbas | Fatah | Mideast | Olmert | Oval Office | AFP | Getty Images
Olmert declined to say he would meet with Syria, saying Damascus wanted too many "preconditions" while denying Israel any preconditions at all.
Bush and Olmert said they would do what they could to support the Abbas government, and isolate Hamas.
Bush, who spoke by phone with Abbas on Monday, called him the "president of all the Palestinians" and "a reasonable voice amongst the extremists."
In a strong show of Western support for Abbas, the Bush administration on Monday lifted its economic and political embargo against the Palestinian government.
In New York on Sunday, Olmert said his country would be a "genuine partner" of a new Palestinian government and promised to consider releasing the hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds.
Olmert told Bush, "like you, I want to strengthen moderates."
The United States had refused contact with Hamas officials since the radicals won parliamentary elections in January 2006, ending decades of Fatah control.
Hamas militants seized control of Gaza last week after a series of clashes with Abbas' Fatah movement.
Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, now runs Gaza. Abbas and his secular Fatah Party now run the West Bank. The larger West Bank is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians.
The fight has also split the Palestinian government: the Hamas leadership headed by deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza and the new Cabinet now led by new Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad, a U.S.-educated economist, in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, in a major boost to Abbas, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced in Luxembourg on Monday that the 27-nation bloc would resume direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority now that Hamas is no longer part of the government.
On Iran, Bush reiterated that he takes the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon seriously, and declined to rule out possible military action.
"My position hasn't changed, and that is, all options are on the table," Bush said, though he added that he hopes to resolve the issue "diplomatically."
By David Jackson, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON ? President Bush expressed strong support Tuesday for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a voice of moderation in the battle with the militant Hamas movement, but appeared to distance his administration from new Middle East peace talks.
"We share a common vision of two states living side by side in peace," Bush said before a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Bush declined to say whether he would endorse new talks between Israel and the Palestinians, saying of Olmert: "Ask him if he's going to talk to Abbas; I'm not going to put words in his mouth."
As for possible regional talks with Syria, Bush said, "If the prime minister wants to negotiate with Syria, he doesn't need me to mediate."
Olmert said he has proposed bi-weekly meetings with Abbas. He said one goal is "to fight terror in the most effective way." Another is preparing the "groundwork" for a Palestinian state.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Israel | George W Bush | Palestinian | West Bank | Gaza | Hamas | Mahmoud Abbas | Fatah | Mideast | Olmert | Oval Office | AFP | Getty Images
Olmert declined to say he would meet with Syria, saying Damascus wanted too many "preconditions" while denying Israel any preconditions at all.
Bush and Olmert said they would do what they could to support the Abbas government, and isolate Hamas.
Bush, who spoke by phone with Abbas on Monday, called him the "president of all the Palestinians" and "a reasonable voice amongst the extremists."
In a strong show of Western support for Abbas, the Bush administration on Monday lifted its economic and political embargo against the Palestinian government.
In New York on Sunday, Olmert said his country would be a "genuine partner" of a new Palestinian government and promised to consider releasing the hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds.
Olmert told Bush, "like you, I want to strengthen moderates."
The United States had refused contact with Hamas officials since the radicals won parliamentary elections in January 2006, ending decades of Fatah control.
Hamas militants seized control of Gaza last week after a series of clashes with Abbas' Fatah movement.
Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, now runs Gaza. Abbas and his secular Fatah Party now run the West Bank. The larger West Bank is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians.
The fight has also split the Palestinian government: the Hamas leadership headed by deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza and the new Cabinet now led by new Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad, a U.S.-educated economist, in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, in a major boost to Abbas, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana announced in Luxembourg on Monday that the 27-nation bloc would resume direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority now that Hamas is no longer part of the government.
On Iran, Bush reiterated that he takes the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon seriously, and declined to rule out possible military action.
"My position hasn't changed, and that is, all options are on the table," Bush said, though he added that he hopes to resolve the issue "diplomatically."
