Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) with President George W. BushCongressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) said Monday that he does not believe President Bush will be able to secure the establishment of a Palestinian state before his final term in office expires at the end of 2008. Lantos, who chairs the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, was visiting Israel when he made the statement. "While I understand that some people in the [Bush] administration would like to see great achievements in the next few months, [they] will not be forthcoming."
His words poured cold water on the recent wave of optimistic forecasts about a new positive push towards the birth of "Palestine." In a meeting with PLO and Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas in Jericho last week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he wanted to do everything possible to hasten the creation of that state. (Jerusalem Newswire, 8/13/07)
[Reported by: Intercessors for America]
