NEW YORK (AP) – President Bush tried to boost Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday as “a man of peace” who can help advance Mideast talks that have been stalled with Hamas leaders controlling the Palestinian parliament.

Mr. Abbas told Mr. Bush, “We are in dire need of your help and support.”

Mr. Abbas assured Mr. Bush that Palestinians want peace, despite the election of Hamas, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction and has rebuffed international demands to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

“The Palestinian people desire peace, and there is no power on Earth that can prevent the Palestinian people from moving toward the peaceful solution and living and coexisting in peace,” he said.

The meeting came while the two leaders were in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In a speech there Tuesday, Mr. Bush said achieving peace in the Middle East was one of the great objectives of his presidency.

“I fully understand that in order to achieve this vision there must be leaders willing to speak out and act on behalf of people who yearn for peace,” Mr. Bush said at the end of his meeting with Mr. Abbas when reporters were invited in. “And you are such a leader, Mr. President.”

The two leaders spoke briefly to the media and did not take questions.

During the 40-minute meeting, deputy national security adviser Elliott Abrams said that Mr. Bush commended Mr. Abbas for his efforts to find a way out of the difficult political situation now that the Palestinian government has no international legitimacy. Mr. Bush expressed hopes that progress can be made in talks between Mr. Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert, he said.

“The president is really committed to trying to achieve this,” Mr. Abrams said. “He’s well aware of the fact that conditions may, in the end, do not exist to make it possible.

“But he wants it understood that his interest, his commitment, his view that the establishment of a peaceful democratic Palestinian state is very, very much in the interests of Palestinians and Israelis alike.”

The U.N. Security Council plans an open meeting Thursday that is intended to revive the peace process.

In his talk Tuesday, Mr. Bush challenged Hamas to reject terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist, honor existing agreements and work for peace.

Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Mr. Abbas has been trying to persuade Hamas leaders to moderate their anti-Israel policies and join with his Fatah Party in a coalition government.

American officials have been concerned that Mr. Abbas has not shown greater leadership, while Fatah leaders complain that America has done next to nothing to support Mr. Abbas.

After the Hamas-led Cabinet took office in late March, America and European Union, the two biggest donors to the Palestinian Authority, cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. Abbas wants to resolve the political stalemate in hopes of restarting the flow, but discussions have stalled on the American demand that Hamas fully renounce violence, recognize Israel and agree to abide by commitments made by the previous secular Palestinian leaders.

Mr. Abrams said Mr. Abbas did not directly ask Mr. Bush for more aid.

Mr. Abbas met Monday in New York with Foreign Minister Livni, the first working session between high-ranking Israeli and Palestinian officials in four months. Afterward, Ms. Livni said Israel wants to reopen a serious dialogue with Mr. Abbas and work with him to establish a Palestinian state.

The American-backed peace plan aimed to establish a Palestinian state by 2005, but Israel and the Palestinians have failed to carry out their obligations and it has languished.

The efforts for peace were further set back this summer after militants allied with Hamas tunneled from the Gaza Strip into Israel to kidnap an Israeli soldier. The attack, which came after Israel withdrew last year from the Gaza Strip, sparked a large military offensive in the Palestinian area in which more than 200 Palestinians have been killed, most of them terrorists.

Days later, Hezbollah guerrillas abducted two soldiers in northern Israel and killed three others, triggering a larger assault across the border into Lebanon that lasted a month.

Mr. Bush planned to return to Washington after his meeting with Mr. Abbas.