US is Israel’s ‘best friend’, says Bush

Jerusalem: Describing the US as Israel's "closest ally and best friend," President George W Bush has said Washington was committed to stand by the Jewish state in securing it from those threatening to annihilate it.

"Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong because the United States of America stands with you", Bush said in a historic address to the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) to mark 60 years of country's independence.

The US President directed his strongest criticism towards Iran, which is allegedly trying to develop nuclear weapons that Israel has described as the biggest existential threat vowing to foil its nuclear ambitions.

"Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions," he said.

Bush also criticised repeated targeting of Israel, "the freest democracy in the Middle East", over routine leveling of human rights complaints against it.

He blasted the deadly tactics of extremist groups and denounced "anti-Semitism," especially by those who want to wipe the nation off the map.

"We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilised society so we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms whether by those who openly question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them," Bush said.

Stressing that the bond between America and Israel is unshakeable, the US President mocked at those arguing that severing ties with the Jewish state would solve all problems in the Middle East.

"Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly", he asserted.

Addressing the Knesset before the US President, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated his commitment to carrying out Bush's vision of forming an independent Palestinian state next to Israel.

Olmert said that he was certain that the divided Knesset and public would rally behind the initiative, but right wing members of the Knesset left the house at his comments in protest.