Bush mentions "Jewish state" - PalArabic media notices

Tel Aviv - United States President George W Bush, on landing in Tel Aviv Tuesday for his first visit to the area since he took office, said he saw a 'new opportunity' for peace in the Middle East.

'The US and Israel are strong allies. The sources of that strength is a shared belief in the power of human freedom. Our people built two great democracies under difficult circumstances,' Bush told dignitaries at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport.

'The alliance between our two nations helps guarantee Israel's security as a a Jewish state,' he said.

Bush also spoke out against extremism, saying that 'We most firmly oppose those who murder the innocent to achieve their poitical objectives.'

'We see a new opportunity for peace here in the holy land and for peace across the region.'

This is a pretty generic speech, but Ma'an Arabic, Palestine Press Agency and Palestine Today created headlines emphasizing Bush's description of Israel as a "Jewish state" and almost ignoring the rest.

On the other hand, YNet and the Jerusalem Post ignored the statement, Ha'aretz took note.