Cheney: U.S. won't pressure Israel on security

By Tabassum Zakaria

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney, starting a visit on Saturday to try to push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, said Washington would never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security.

Palestinians accuse Israel of undermining the U.S.-sponsored peace talks by expanding Jewish settlements, refusing to remove West Bank roadblocks and mounting offensives against militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip who fire cross-border rockets into the Jewish state.

"America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakable, as is Israel's right to protect itself always against terrorism, rocket attacks and other attacks from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction," Cheney told a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security."

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called Cheney's comments "inciteful and completely biased in favours of the Israeli occupation".

He said it "confirms the United States is a partner to Israel in its war against our people and against the Gaza Strip".

Olmert said his talks with Cheney would include concerns about Iran and Syria, and that "we are anxious to carry on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians".

Cheney said the U.S. role was not to "dictate the outcome" of the peace talks, launched at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November with the goal of reaching a statehood agreement before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January.