Bush an 'Appeaser' (To Israel) Says Egyptian Press: CBS News

(CBS/AP) Egypt's state-owned press opened fire Saturday on U.S. President George W. Bush as he arrived for talks with regional leaders at the conclusion of a five-day Mideast tour.

The newspapers, whose management are all appointed by the government, criticized Mr. Bush's speech Thursday in front of the Israeli Knesset for being overly supportive of the Israelis and not mentioning the Palestinians' plight.

"The Torah-inspired speech of Bush raised question marks over the credibility of the U.S. role in the Middle East," wrote Mursi Atallah, the publisher of Al-Ahram, the flagship daily of the state-owned press. "Bush aims to do nothing but appeasing Israel."

Egypt was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel and has long been seen as a key mediator in the Mideast dispute that Mr. Bush has said he wants to solve by the time he leaves office next January.

Mr. Bush delivered a rosy forecast for the Middle East in 2068 during his speech. He limited his mention of Palestinians to just one sentence. "The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved, a democratic state that is governed by law, and respects human rights, and rejects terror," he said.

On Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal commented on Mr. Bush's speech by saying its understandable that U.S.-Israel relations are special but "it is, however, important also to affirm the legitimate and political rights of the Palestinian people."

"The Torah-inspired speech of Bush raised question marks over the credibility of the U.S. role in the Middle East," wrote Mursi Atallah, the publisher of Al-Ahram, the flagship daily of the state-owned press. "Bush aims to do nothing but appeasing Israel."