Bush backs Olmert plan to reshape Israeli border

Together with the tangible outcome of Tuesday's six hour-long summit at the White House, Olmert will return home on Wednesday with the knowledge that Israel's special and vital friendship with its chief ally has been reaffirmed.

In a briefing following the summit, Olmert told reporters that "I am very very pleased with the contents of our talks, with the things I heard and with the president's statement. His words were very clear and very impressive."

Olmert's three-day visit came only several weeks after forming a coalition government led by his centrist Kadima party, which vowed to end Israel's presence in most areas of the occupied West Bank by 2010 even without Palestinian agreement.

The strong words of support that Bush offered to Olmert's plan, albeit on condition that he first attempts to reach a negotiated settlement with the Palestinian, gave a major boost to Olmert's future efforts to assure national and international support.

"I would call them bold ideas," Bush told reporters Tuesday. "The prime minister's ideas could be an important step toward the peace we both support."

Bush said that Olmert's ideas, even if carried out unilaterally, could lead to his vision of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel under the auspices of the internationally-backed road map peace plan.

But he also reiterated his stand that Israel should not wait forever for a Palestinian partner in negotiations, especially since the radical Hamas movement leads the Palestinian Authority government and remains adamant in its refusal to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence.