ABSTRACT
Bush and his secretary of state James Baker felt that their diplomatic initiative could succeed because it would emphasize process rather than specific points of discussion and that it was happening soon after the successful conclusion of the Gulf War. In a speech just after the end of the Gulf War, President Bush presented his vision for a new Middle Eastern order. He renewed the US commitment to keep a permanent naval presence in the Persian Gulf and provide funds for Middle Eastern economic development, but more importantly, promised to work on creating an Arab-Israeli peace agreement based on the principle of 'land for peace' that also recognized the rights of the Palestinians. However, Israeli settlers under attack brought radios and mobile TVs into their shelters in order not to miss the historic signing of a second peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state.
