Bush addresses Israel on 60th anniversary

JERUSALEM, May 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush celebrated Israel's 60th anniversary in Jerusalem Thursday with a warning and a hope for better co-existence between Jews and Arabs.

In a prepared speech before Israeli lawmakers, Bush warned against "the incendiary language" of Mideast extremists like Hamas and Hezbollah, whose leaders call for an end to Israel, in drawing a parallel with the Holocaust.

"There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain their words away," Bush said in his prepared speech. "But it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously."

Bush denounced the idea of individual talks with adversaries, as former President Jimmy Carter did recently in meeting with Hamas leaders. He did not mention Carter by name in his prepared speech.

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," Bush said. "We have heard this foolish delusion before."

On the second day of his Middle East trip, Bush earlier toured the historic Dead Sea fortress Masada.