Mr Cheney said the US would never put any pressure on Israel over issues he said would threaten its security.

From Jerusalem, he will visit the West Bank town of Ramallah on Sunday for talks with Palestinian leaders.

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"The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps to threaten its security," Mr Cheney said at a news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr Cheney reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state and said Palestinian leaders could be "certain of America's goodwill".

"We want to see a resolution to the conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and a new beginning for the Palestinian people," he said.

US President George W Bush has said he hopes for a peace deal before he leaves office in January.

Regional tour

Mr Cheney flew to Israel after an overnight visit to Saudi Arabia, where he and King Abdullah discussed ways of stabilising the oil market.

On Thursday, Mr Cheney held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, urging greater Nato commitment.

Mr Cheney's Middle East tour also took him to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, five years after the US-led invasion.

Mr Cheney will visit Turkey before returning to Washington.

(BBC)

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