RIGHTLY, the Middle East will be on the agenda when the Prime Minister meets President Bush for talks in Washington this week.

Brokering a lasting and secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the catalyst to easing many tensions elsewhere in the world.

There are reasons to be optimistic.

President Bush, no longer focusing much of his attention on re-election, has much more freedom to manoeuvre on the international stage.

He may be the first US President to call for the creation of a Palestinian state, but he has been reluctant to make meaningful progress towards that goal.

The President must now respond, not just with rhetoric, but with purpose to take that first, vital step towards finding a solution to the crisis.

Persuading the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership to come together will be a very difficult task.

But the transfer of power in Palestine from Yasser Arafat marks a new chapter in the Middle East and an opportunity to break the deadlock.

Pressure must be put on both sides to attempt to reach an agreement, which guarantees the security of Israel as well as the economic and political viability of a Palestinian state.

Recent history suggests Ariel Sharon will be a reluctant participant in talks. And the inevitable power vacuum inside Palestine will be another obstacle to progress.

But President Bush, if he has the genuine commitment, has the ability to overcome obstacles and bring both sides together.

Much, therefore, rests on the ability of Mr Blair to cajole President Bush to grasp the historic diplomatic opportunity before it slips by.