Bush tours Israel's ancient fortress of Masada

• IBTimes RSS
• Print
• E-Mail
• digg
• Del.icio.us

A cable car carried Bush to the top of the towering plateau, where in an act chronicled by a 1st-century historian, 960 Jewish men, women and children committed suicide rather than surrender to Roman forces crushing a rebellion in ancient Judea.

Bush, on a three-day visit to celebrate Israel's founding 60 years ago, flew to the desert south of Jerusalem hours before Palestinians were to due mark the anniversary, which they commemorate as the "Nakba", or catastrophe, with a mournful siren.

"The courage and bravery of those who fought at Masada can be seen in Israelis today," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said before Bush's visit to the site of ancient Roman ramparts overlooking the Dead Sea.

After viewing ruins including a unique water collection system that sustained besieged Jewish zealots at Masada, Bush - viewed by many Israelis as the best friend their country has had in the White House - planned to address Israel's parliament, the Knesset.

Before making his second trip this year and also of his presidency to Israel, Bush expressed hope an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord could be reached by the time he leaves office in January.

There have been few signs of progress in the U.S.-brokered negotiations since promises were made at a peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November.

In the latest setback to a deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been urged to resign over suspicions he took bribes from a U.S. businessman. Olmert has denied wrongdoing but has pledged to quit if indicted, and this could delay any peace accord.

GAZA VIOLENCE

Violence around the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip still hampers peace efforts. A rocket fired from the territory hit a shopping mall in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, wounding several people on Wednesday as Bush and Olmert met in Jerusalem.

• 1
• 2