Official says Israel accepts Bush's push for peace deal

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel sees U.S. President George W. Bush's push for reaching a peace treaty with the Palestinians within a year as a positive step for renewed talks, an Israeli official said on Thursday.

"We see the Bush remarks as the basis of moving forward. We accept them. We see them as consistent with understandings with the Americans and as a positive foundation for moving forward," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Israeli response was the first to Bush's call for an end to what he said was the 40-year "occupation" of the West Bank and for signing a peace treaty before he leaves office in January 2009.

Bush's comments marked a hardening of his tone towards Israel and could put Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at odds with right-wing members of his coalition who oppose sweeping peace concessions.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Michael Winfrey)