For Palestinians and Israeli Arabs living in east Jerusalem, US President George Bush's visit to the region is no more than a photo opportunity. Hamas has slammed the visit claiming that Bush in the past never lived up to his promises, so there is no reason he will change his tune now. On Thursday the American President met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah before traveling to Bethlehem.Abbas called on Israel to live up to its commitments and Bush declared the Palestinians have a right to an independent state and said he is convinced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand "the importance of democratic states living side by side" in peace, and noted that he has a one-year deadline for progress on his watch. "I'm on a timetable," he told reporters. "I've got 12 months." 01/10/08
