Bush's expression of hope came at a news conference in Washington after his talks with King of Jordan Abdullah II, and his words could be dismissed as diplomatic politesse. But Rice was visiting the Middle East at the time, and could see for herself what was going on in the region. Rockets were falling on Israel; the Israelis continued their surgical strikes in Gaza despite an earlier troop withdrawal.
For the U.S. administration, a peace agreement in the Middle East is a matter of principle. It has become part of its strategy on global struggle against terrorism in the wake of 9/11 attacks. This issue is as important as the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Bush simply cannot leave his office without drawing a line under the main project of his whole presidency.
According to the latest public opinion polls, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week, 64 percent of Israelis stand for dialogue with Hamas with a view to signing a truce agreement. However, this is not in US interests. Nor is a truce likely to help establish peace. So, there is only one option left - destruction of Hamas in Gaza. Could Washington be counting on this? But what price will Israelis and Palestinians have to pay for this? Wouldn't it escalate tensions even more?
