Straw seeks unity on Middle East

Mr Straw discussed the war on terror with Colin Powell

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is urging Israel and the Palestinians to join a regional conference to find a political settlement to their conflict.

His comments follow Tuesday's suicide bomb attack on a snooker hall in Tel Aviv in which 15 Israelis died.

Mr Straw is meeting his US counterparts in Washington to discuss the war on terror and the conflict in the Middle East.

He stressed that Britain and the US should not become "cheerleaders" for Israel and Palestine.

There is no contradiction between being pro-American and pro-European

Jack Straw

He said instead they should join a transatlantic alliance between the "great democracies of Europe and America" to mediate a peace, he said.

"There are differences of geography, history and economic ties between the US, EU and Russia when it comes to the Middle East," Mr Straw said in an address to the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"And because of these differences, it is all too easy for us to be divided by the clamour of partisans to act as cheerleaders for one side or another.

"But the conflict is too serious for that."

'Commonality of roots'

Mr Straw highlighted the joint efforts by American and British diplomats which produced last week's deal which allowed Yasser Arafat to leave his headquarters at Ramallah.

He said the success of Britain's relationship with the US would be defined by the way in which differences over issues like climate change, steel and the International Criminal Court were resolved.

"We are mature enough to cope with dissent and debate. We both recognise the fundamental commonality of our roots and values."

Mr Straw criticised comments by Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, that Britain's relationship with the US stopped it playing a full part in Europe.

Middle East talks

"There is no contradiction between being pro-American and pro-European," he said.

"I reject the idea that relations with the US and EU involve a zero sum - that an individual has to prove his 'pro-European' credentials by being anti-American."

The Foreign Secretary is on the final day of a two day visit to Washington.

He has been holding talks about the Middle East conflict and the latest developments in Afghanistan with his counterpart, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vice-President Dick Cheney, and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice.