Bush left Tuesday for meetings in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt but before that talked with reporters from Israeli television, the BBC and Egyptian television, hitting familiar themes on the war on terror and the destabilizing effects Syria and Iran have had on the region.

Bush denied his visit to Israel to help commemorate the 60th anniversary of its establishment is a slap at the suffering of the Palestinian people, saying instead that if Palestinian militants would cooperate with the peace process, everyone would benefit.

"I say to them that I care deeply about the Palestinian people and their future," Bush told the BBC's Arabic service, adding, "Isn't it interesting that as the talks begin to emerge, there's more rockets flying into Israeli neighborhoods. Why? Because they (Hamas) want to stop the advance of a Palestinian state."

In his interview with Israeli television, Bush called Iran "the single biggest threat to peace in the Middle East," blaming Tehran for the Hezbollah uprising in Lebanon that threatens the government.