The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

Israeli and Palestinian leaders Monday voiced hope that long frozen peace talks may soon be revived, as US President George W. Bush launched his biggest push yet to end the Middle East conflict.

Bush, who met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said he was hopeful the peace process could move forward after a seven-year hiatus.

"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 you're optimistic," Bush told Olmert at the White House.

He was speaking on the eve of Tuesday's US-hosted peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, gathering more than 50 organizations and countries, including some 16 Arab nations.

Olmert praised Bush's initiative saying: "This time it's different because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians."

He added that after Tuesday's conference he hoped "we and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good and create great hope for our peoples." Abbas was also upbeat as he met Bush, who has worked hard to drum up support, particularly among Arab nations such as Syria and Saudi Arabia, for the Annapolis meeting.

Meanwhile, the US-championed Middle East peace summit hit an early snag Monday as Palestinian and Israeli negotiators struggled to agree on a written framework for future negotiations, officials said.

US President George W. Bush met with leaders from both sides in his Oval Office and later urged all parties to make the "difficult compromises" needed to midwife a Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel.

Bush, speaking on the eve of the high-stakes conference in Annapolis, Maryland, said he was "optimistic" about restarting peace talks after a seven-year freeze and reaffirmed what critics have called his wobbly personal stake in the effort.