Washington, D.C. ? President Bush will visit the Mideast in early January as he presses the Israelis and Palestinians to resume long-stalled peace talks and forge an elusive agreement for an independent Palestinian homeland.

The White House would not disclose details of Bush’s itinerary, but an Israeli television station said he will go to Israel for the first time in his presidency.

Last week, the Bush administration hosted a high-profile Mideast conference in Annapolis, Md., where Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told international backers and skeptical Arab neighbors that they were ready to resume talks. The three days of talks ended at the White House.