President Bush in Israel as Palestinians commemorate their Nakbah

Wednesday May 14, 2008 17:17 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

President of the United States, Gorge W.B Bush arrived on Wednesday in Israel to attend the Hebrew state's celebrations of the establishment of Israel on historical Palestine in 1948.

President Bush

Leaders of the Hebrew state were in reception of Bush, when the latter's plane landed in the Ben Gurion airport in Tel-Aviv. Ben Gurion himself, after whom the airport was named, immigrated from Europe to Palestine, in the first half of the twentieth centaury.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival, Bush said " Bush is unwelcomed by many countries in the world, and perhaps Israel or another one or two countries in Africa, welcome Bush".

Israeli president , Shimon Peres, told reporters " Israel is happy for this visit, for Israel believes in democracy and equality, exactly as same as the U.S".

Bush's visit to the region comes as Bush's term in office is drawing to and end, later this year, in which the American President stressed on the Jewish identity of the Israeli state, which was established on the ruins of historical Palestine six decades ago.

In Gaza, the ruling Hamas party, did not welcome the visit, branding it a ' herald of bad omen' for the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the Diaspora.

Hamas's spokesman in Gaza , Fawzi Barhoum, told IMEMC that Bush's trip to Israel would mean a confirmation by the U.S president on the Jewish identity of the Hebrew state.

" we expect further backing by the American administration to the Israeli settlement activities and attacks across the Palestinian territories, following this unwelcome visit" , Barhoum believed.

Asked whether Bush might pressure Israel for paving the way for realizing the two-state solution, Bush envisioned 5 years ago, Bathoum said ' nothing will be achieved'.

Hamas has been sidelined by Washington , since the party was elected in 2006. Hamas claims the Palestinian people's rights to a Palestinian state in all parts of Palestine 'Israel now'.

The Bush's administration backed in 2003, a peace plan, which demands Israel to halt settlement activities on Palestinian lands. Israeli settlement activities go unabated up to writing this article.

While Bush is set to share Israelis their state declaration six decades ago, tomorrow, May15, the Palestinian people in Gaza , the West Bank, East Jerusalem and in the Diaspora, will commemorate the Palestinian Nakbah (Catastrophe), when Jewish gangs expelled by foces hundreds of Palestinians from their ancestor's lands in almost 450 villages and towns of historical Palestine.

During last November's Washington-sponsored Annapolis summit, Bush stated he would work on ensuring a two-state solution for a Palestinian and Israeli state by the end of 2008.

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