Jerusalem, July 18 (PTI): Israel has welcomed US President George Bush's new initiative to call an international conference on Middle East, while Palestinian faction Hamas dubbed it a 'crusade' against the people.

The Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert's, spokesperson, Miri Eisin, said that Bush's announcement "adds to the momentum" of bilateral talks already under way between the Israeli Premier and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, 'Ha'aretz' online reported on Tuesday.

The summit could be "an excellent umbrella to support the moderate Palestinians and to give a real push" to the bilateral talks, Eisin said.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson also said that Saudi Arabia and other Arab states that did not have diplomatic ties with Israel should take part in the conference.

Hamas, which violently took control of the Gaza Strip vanquishing Abbas' security apparatus and expelling his supporters, however, accused the US President of planning a "crusade" targeting against the Palestinians.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused Bush of outlining "a plot to launch a crusade against the Palestinian people."

The US President has called for an international conference later this year to help restart peace talks and review progress in building democratic institutions in the Arab world.

Bush has said that besides some Arab states, Israel and the PA would also be invited to this conference. He also said that Washington would provide the new PA emergency government with over US$ 190 million in aid.

The Quartet -- the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, the United States -- will convene in Lisbon on Thursday and is expected to endorse the summit.