Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, and Mahmoud Abbas, his Palestinian counterpart, have addressed Turkey's parliament in Ankara, strongly advocating a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The address by Peres was the first by an Israeli president before the legislature of a Muslim country.
Both leaders on Tuesday expressed optimism that an upcoming peace conference in the US would help thaw conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
"We may be saying different prayers but our eyes are turned toward the same sky and toward the same vision for the Middle East," Peres said.
"If there is peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the occupation of Arab lands ends, Israel will also live in a sea of peace, security and stability in the Middle East," Abbas said
clipped from: english.aljazeera.net