Israel welcomed today US President George W. Bush's statement that it was too early to announce a timetable for the creation of a Palestinian state.
"I think the position of the United States on the question of a timetable is excellent given the bad experiences of the past," said Mr Avi Pazner, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
He said Mr Sharon's predecessor Mr Ehud Barak "found it impossible to respect the deadlines he had set for reaching accords" leading the way to Palestinian statehood.
Mr Bush said yesterday after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he was not ready to commit to a specific timetable for creating a Palestinian state.
"We're not ready to lay down a specific calendar except for the fact we need to get started quickly, soon, so that we can seize the moment," Mr Bush said at a joint press conference with Mr Mubarak at the Camp David retreat near Washington.
Mr Sharon, who has said he supports the notion of a Palestinian state in principle but with limits on its sovereignty, flew early today to the US capital and is due to confer with Mr Bush at the White House tomorrow.
AFP