Bush Hopes to Visit Mideast Soon to Push Arab-Israeli Peace Moves

President Bush hopes to visit the Middle East “as soon as possible,” the White House said Tuesday, signaling a willingness to ratchet up pressure to get the Arab-Israeli peace process moving.

A White House official said that the timing of a presidential visit depends on the progress Secretary of State James A. Baker III makes this week during his visits with allies in the Persian Gulf War and--particularly--with Israel’s senior leaders.

Another White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that officials are studying the prospects of such a trip, although “a lot depends on the outcome of Baker’s visit.”

The pointed reference was to Israel’s determined reluctance to yield to the new U.S. pressure. The United States wants Israel to relinquish its grip on the territories it has occupied since 1967 in exchange for peace with Palestinians and Israel’s Arab neighbors.

Bush’s itinerary probably would include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. Bush has not visited the region as President except for brief stops in Saudi Arabia and Egypt last Thanksgiving.

Bush leaves today on a five-day trip to consult with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Ottawa, French President Francois Mitterrand in Martinique and British Prime Minister John Major in Bermuda.

“All three are key members of the (anti-Iraq) coalition in terms of planning for postwar activities,” White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said.