Palestinians, meanwhile, continue to protest Bush’s visit. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri condemned Bush’s support for Israeli settlement expansion and rejection of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Sami Abu Zuhri: “We believe that Bush’s visit to the region and his speech represented a slap on the face of all those who bet on the project of compromise. The American administration is a partner in the aggression against
our people by supporting the Israeli side.”

Palestinians are marking the sixtieth anniversary of what they call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homes during the war around Israel’s creation in 1948.