Bulldozer on Jerusalem rampage before Obama visit

A Palestinian rammed a bulldozer into vehicles on a Jerusalem street yesterday before a visit by US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who condemned the attack and pledged to push for a peace deal.

The attacker wounded at least 16 people, one seriously, before being shot dead just down the road from the hotel where Mr Obama is due to stay. It was the second such incident in Jewish west Jerusalem in three weeks.

"Today's bulldozer attack is a reminder of what Israelis have courageously lived with on a daily basis for far too long," Mr Obama told a news conference in Amman. "I strongly condemn this attack and will always support Israel in confronting terrorism and pursuing lasting peace and security."

Mr Obama pledged to start working for a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks from his first day in office but said it was unrealistic to expect a US President to "suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace".

"The Israeli government is unsettled. The Palestinians are divided between Fatah and Hamas. And so it's difficult for either side to make the bold move that would bring about peace," Mr Obama told reporters in Amman.

The attack occurred while Israeli President Shimon Peres hosted Mr Abbas less than a kilometre away, the first visit by a Palestinian President to Israel's official presidential residence.

Israeli police identified the driver as Ghassan Abu Tair, a 22-year-old Palestinian from a village in an area of the occupied West Bank that Israel considers part of Jerusalem and whose residents have freedom of movement in the city and Israel.

"I think this was a road accident; it happens every day in Israel," one of his relatives, Ahmad Abu Tair, told Reuters. "Ghassan didn't have any ties with any (militant) group."

A police spokesman said a civilian opened fire at the bulldozer, which kept moving until police shot and killed him.

The bulldozer also hit a bus. Emergency services said at least 16 people were wounded, one seriously. After the attack, police set up a cordon around the yellow bulldozer and the slumped body of the driver inside.

"This was another attempt to murder innocent people in a senseless act of terrorism," said Mr Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack was praised by Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip as "a natural reaction to the crimes of the (Israeli) occupation". Mr Abbas "condemned and rejected" the attack and told reporters that such incidents "hurt our reputation and peace in general".

Mr Obama, scheduled to hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders today, is due to stay at the King David Hotel, less than 200 metres from the scene of the attack. Police said they had no immediate evidence to suggest it was linked to the visit.