WASHINGTON, April 3: The White House said on Wednesday that it was open to pushing ahead with efforts to craft a political resolution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians despite the lack of a ceasefire agreement.

However, US President George W. Bush “believes ... it is easier to get to the political process once the ceasefire goes into effect”, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.

Bush has said all along he favous getting both parties to agree to a ceasefire proposal crafted by CIA director George Tenet before they move ahead with a peace outline laid out by former US senator George Mitchell.

“There are two vital guidelines that the president is seeking to advance. They can work independently, they can work together. The important thing is for the parties to begin focus, with the United States’ assistance, to making progress in both of them or either of them,” said the spokesman.

“But the president has always been open to whatever allows a constructive dialogue to take place,” he said, days after telling reporters that Bush would back efforts to “leap-frog” Tenet into Mitchell if that was both parties’ wish.

“If the parties were willing to agree to leap-frog forward to a final resolution, that’s something the president would welcome,” he said Monday.

Fleischer also renewed the US call for the Palestinians to make “100-percent” efforts to halt anti-Israeli violence while sticking by Washington’s support for Israel’s “right to defend itself.”

“The president’s position remains clear ... that, in the wake of suicide bombings and attacks that took place in Israel, he understands and respects israel rifght to defend herself,” said Fleischer.

“His message to Israel is that it is vital to remember that peace has got to be the result of any steps that are taken,” he added.

Israel rejects Europe call: Israel has rejected European Commission President Romano Prodi’s call for a Middle East conference.—AFP