(Updates with Bush-Mubarak meeting) By Matt Spetalnick and Tabassum Zakaria SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will try on Saturday to address the concerns of Palestinian leaders looking for signs they will not be neglected after he lavished praise on Israel earlier this week. In the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the final stop of his Middle East tour, Bush faces growing scepticism over his chances of securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before he leaves office in January. On the way from the airport, Bush's motorcade passed a "peacemakers" mural on the side of the road marking past efforts on Middle East diplomacy by his predecessors. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak greeted Bush at the airport and then they held a private meeting but made no public statements afterward. Bush will next see Afghan President Hamid Karzai and then meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinians were dismayed that Bush, in his speech to Israel's parliament on Thursday, made only one reference to their aspirations for a state of their own and did not use the occasion to press Israelis to make compromises. The White House denied Bush was ignoring the plight of the Palestinians, insisting he would address their concerns in his meeting with Abbas. "What he will make clear is that the Palestinian people deserve a state," said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe. Bush's visit to Israel to celebrate its 60th anniversary raised fresh doubts in the Arab world over his ability to act as an even-handed broker between Israel and the Palestinians. He hailed Israel as a "homeland for the chosen people" and pledged that Israelis could forever count on American support against enemies like Hamas and Iran. Abbas will make his case for Bush to put more pressure on Israel. But he has little leverage and is weak at home, governing only in the West Bank while Hamas controls Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is also on the ropes, facing a corruption scandal that could force his resignation and possibly derail the peace process altogether. Bush will meet Jordan's King Abdullah, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Iraqi officials on Sunday at an international economic forum before heading home. PEACE PROCESS STALLED Bush's Middle East tour, his second this year, follows a U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November where Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to try to reach a peace agreement by the end of Bush's term. Since then, talks have bogged down over Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and violence in and around the Gaza Strip, where Hamas cross-border rocket fire has triggered a tough Israeli military response. Bush has voiced optimism that a deal can be reached as he tries to carve out a foreign policy legacy beyond the unpopular war in Iraq. Israelis gave Bush a hero's welcome this week, many seeing him as the best friend the Jewish state has ever had in the White House. Critics said Bush showed insensitivity by heaping praise on Israel on the day Palestinians annually mark what they call the "Nakba," or catastrophe, when some 700,000 Arabs fled or were forced from their homes during the war over Israel's creation. "He should have told the Israelis no one can be free at the expense of others," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "He missed this opportunity and we are disappointed." As Bush visited Saudi Arabia on Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters: "What is required is equality in dealings ... and not selectiveness in dealings." (Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
Supporters of Imamia Students Organisation burn a mock coffin representing Israel and wrapped with U.S. and Israeli flags during a protest against the 60th anniversary of Israel, in Lahore May 16, ...
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