Bush will also arrive on Wednesday, for the conference dedicated to the theme of "tomorrow". The meeting will allow Peres to present his country's point of view on the threat from Iran. Fears over possible repercussions of the Olmert affair.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Entitled "Facing Tomorrow", the conference that opens tomorrow in Jerusalem will be the largest ever held in Israel, with the presence of 13 heads of state or government and 3,500 participants.  Organised to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state, the meeting will be attended by George Bush, who is expected on Wednesday, and by the leading authorities of Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Mongolia, Togo, Burkina Faso, the prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary, Spanish foreign minister Miguel Moratinos, and the chairman of the Federation Council of Russia.

Intended to face various questions, and not only on the Middle East, the conference is seen in Israel partly as an opportunity to refresh the country's international image, but also as an opportunity for Israeli president Shimon Peres to outline for his guests Jerusalem's point of view on the "Iranian threat".

The Israeli media are now preoccupied with the possibility that these programmes and plans could be overturned by developments in the accusations of corruption against prime minister Ehud Olmert - which are thought might lead to his resignation - who is supposed to deliver two speeches at the conference.

• Israel
• 60th
• sixtieth
• sixty
• anniversary
• foundation
• creation
• Jewish
• state
• conference
• president
• George
• Bush
• Iran
• Ehud
• Olmert
• corruption
• scandal