HIGHLIGHTS: Bush Says Resistance Bombings Timed to Coincide with Top-level Mideast Diplomacy Talks in Washington Are Not Coincidental||Bush Presses FMs on Palestinian Reform While FMs Present Detailed Plan on Palestinian Statehood||FMs & Powell Present a Surprisingly Unified Assessment of Bush's Vision on Mideast Peace||Israel Acknowledges It Couldn't Completely Protect itself|| STORY: US President George W. Bush met with top diplomats from three key Arab allies in a bid to help reconcile US plans for jumpstarting the Mideast peace process with Arab hopes for a Palestinian state by next year.(Read photo caption)

The top-level meeting comes as Israeli attitudes toward the Palestinians have hardened following Tuesday's Palestinian ambush of a bus near a Jewish settlement on the West Bank and a double suicide bombing late Wednesday in Tel Aviv.

The attacks, which killed 12, triggered new jitters and frustration in Israel, whose troops have occupied most major towns in the West Bank and clamped down stifling curfews since the last suicide bombings a month ago.

Bush refused to let the increased violence shatter his vision for regional peace.

"I'm beginning to think that every time we have a high-level meeting and something happens it is not coincidental," Bush said before meeting with the three ministers.

"I think the enemies against peace try to derail peace and try to discourage us. And one of the things I'm going to tell the leaders today we refuse to be discouraged."

Bush would likely try to persuade the foreign ministers -- Marwan Moasher of Jordan, Ahmed Maher of Egypt, and Prince Saud Al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia -- of the pressing need for reforms of Palestinian institutions.

The Arab ministers in turn were expected to present Bush with a detailed plan for the creation of a Palestinian state in January 2003, which would reportedly include Yasser Arafat remaining as Palestinian leader until then.

They are also expected to press Bush on the need for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank before serious security improvements can be carried out.

FMs & POWELL SURPRISINGLY PRESENT UNIFIED ASSESSMENT OF BUSH'S VISION FOR MIDEAST PEACE

Just hours before the meeting, the ministers met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and presented a surprisingly unified assessment of Bush's vision for Middle East peace -- apparently seeking to quash pessimism brought about by deep rifts over his plan -- which included demands for Arafat's ouster.

Despite sharp differences on Arafat's future and Israel's speed in reciprocating Palestinian reforms, Powell and the ministers expressed satisfaction with Bush's three year timetable for a Palestinian state.

"We are here on a journey," Prince Saud said. "We are more encouraged by what we heard from the secretary today that this journey is going in the right direction."

Jordan's Moasher agreed.

"We leave here encouraged by what we heard from the secretary of the US commitment to an endgame that will be achieved in three years," Moasher said, standing with Powell, Prince Saud and Maher outside the State Department.

"The discussions were extremely fruitful."

Moaser said the Arabs had presented to Powell and would later give to Bush their ideas on creating at least a temporary Palestinian state by January 2003.

Powell described the talks as a "very productive discussion."

"I must say that I think there is I think a high degree of correlation between our views and a strong consensus on how we should move forward," he said.

ISRAEL ACKNOWLDGES IT COULD NOT COMPLETELY PROTECT ITSELF

Israel itself was still reeling from the attacks this week and was on high alert. The government hardened its position against the Palestinians, but acknowledged it could not completely protect itself.

Seven Palestinians were arrested overnight, military sources said, the occupation army was placed on high alert and roadblocks were set up around Tel Aviv in a bid to prevent new Resistance strikes.

But Israeli officials had no illusions.

"We know that we cannot succeed 100 percent" in preventing Palestinian attacks, government spokesman Avi Pazner said. "We have now a rate of 90 percent, we will try to increase it to 96, 97 or 98 percent."

The Israelis have put on hold plans to resume a dialogue on humanitarian issues, and the defense ministry announced it would freeze new measures to free up trade and industry restrictions on the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, a woman who was critically wounded in Tuesday's bus ambush died of her injuries late Thursday, raising the death toll to nine.

PHOTO CAPTION

President George W. Bush (R) and Secretary of State Colin Powell (2R) meet with foreign ministers from Jordan Marwan al-Muasher (L) and Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud al-Faisal, July 18, 2002 in the Oval Office... (Mike Theiler/Reuters)
- Jul 18 9:18 PM