Middle East skeptical of Bush peace visit

NABLUS, West Bank, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush's Wednesday peace-making trip to the Middle East is drawing skepticism from locals.

"I'm afraid Bush's trip is just a photo op," Yonatan Touval, a foreign policy adviser in Israel's left-wing Meretz Party, told USA Today.

Palestinian TV repair shop owner Ghazi Bustami told the paper that "for seven years, Bush served Israel and made war. Now with a few months left in his presidency he thinks of the Palestinians. But it's too late."

Bush advisers say they hope the trip serves to improve U.S. relations with Arabs and demonstrate his commitment to long-term solutions in the conflict-ridden region, USA Today said.