Israel signals its support for Middle East road-map

Israel announced yesterday that it would accept the "road-map" for peace in the Middle East, breaking weeks of deadlock and opening the way for an Israeli-Palestinian summit next month to be hosted by President George Bush.

The breakthrough followed tortuous negotiations with the Americans to overcome outstanding Israeli reservations about the plan without actually changing it. Resolving this semantic paradox is the key to continuing the peace process.

The Israelis finally agreed to the road-map after the White House issued a statement promising to listen to their concerns. The plan will be presented to the Israeli cabinet tomorrow, and is expected to be approved early next week.

President Bush said he would now "strongly consider" meeting the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers, Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas. "If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting," he said. Geneva, or the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, are possible venues for such a summit.

A statement from Mr Sharon said Israel was "ready to accept the steps which are outlined in the road-map". At the same time, US officials insisted the map would not be changed. The Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who is in Paris, said: "We have told the Israeli government that we would take their comments into consideration and address them fully and seriously as we went forward in the implementation of the road-map, but this does not require us to change the road-map."

The plan, drawn up by the US, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, sets out a series of reciprocal steps intended to lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in 2005.