U.S. to Continue Working Towards Achieving Mideast Peace

President Bush said the United States will continue to work towards achieving peace in the Middle East despite the continued acts of violence there.

Speaking March 28 at a Republican fundraising luncheon in Dallas, Texas, Bush said, "Oh, I know...(it) looks like there will never be peace, but I can assure you we're not giving up. We're not going to let murderers disrupt a march to peace," the President said.

Referring to the March 27 suicide bombing at a hotel in Netanya, Israel, that killed at least 20 and wounded more than 170 others, Bush said, "My heart breaks for those who were celebrating Passover in the hotel, when a cold-blooded killer came in and destroyed innocent life" in an attempt to derail efforts towards peace.

The militant Palestinian terror organization Hamas has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Bush said "they're not going to stop us as a nation for longing for peace, and working for peace. And the best way to achieve the peace is to be strong and steadfast against terror."

He reminded the guests at the luncheon that the rest of the world watches the United States carefully. "We're not going to blink," in the face of terror, he said.

President Bush has condemned the suicide bombing in strong terms and called upon Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to do everything in their power to stop such killing.

White House Praises Arab League's Endorsement of a Saudi Peace Plan

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe March 28 praised the Arab League's endorsement of a Saudi peace plan.

"We welcome the unanimous decision to accept the communique at the summit in Beirut," Johndroe told the Associated Press. "We hope other leaders in the region accept the plan as well."

The plan, proposed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, reportedly offers Israel recognition, security and "normal relations" in exchange for a full withdrawal from Arab lands held since 1967 and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees. The plan also is said to call for the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)