Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 6, 2008

Israel to Welcome President Bush With 'Open Arms'
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1AD172B:A6F02AD83191E160AE83E9AE46A7F8A6B3350E090FE6A6E8& Meanwhile, Israeli
PM Olmert said Sunday that Defense Minister Ehud Barak had ordered
security forces to escalate actions against militants in Gaza Israel
is gearing up for the visit of U.S. President George Bush this week. 
But as Robert Berger reports, the high-profile visit comes amid
escalating tension between Israel and the militant Palestinian
government in the Gaza Strip.







Ehud Olmert  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will welcome
President Bush with "open arms."

Mr. Olmert told the Cabinet the president has shown great friendship
toward Israel throughout his term and has been a strategic ally.

He said Israel will discuss security issues with Mr. Bush, including
what he described as the ongoing "terror" from the Gaza Strip.  Mr.
Olmert said a longer-range Palestinian rocket that hit the major
Israeli city of Ashkelon last week marked an escalation, and the
Israeli army would respond by stepping up raids into Gaza.







Palestinians carry a woman, injured during an Israeli army operation,
into the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir El-Balah, Gaza, 06 Jan. 2008In
addition, Palestinian officials say Israeli fuel cuts to Gaza will
force residents there to live without electricity eight hours a day
beginning Sunday.  Israeli officials said the cuts are a "stern
message" to the Islamic militant group Hamas to halt the rocket
attacks.

Israel has tightened sanctions on Hamas since it seized control of
Gaza in June, when it routed the Fatah forces of western-backed
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  He now heads a moderate
government in the West Bank.

Officials in the Abbas government have condemned the Israeli fuel cuts
and raids into Gaza, saying they are harming the atmosphere in peace
talks which resumed last month after a seven year break.

President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert will meet Tuesday to discuss
Gaza and other issues, a day before President Bush arrives for a
three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. 




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