WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he remained optimistic that Israel and the Palestinians could reach a peace deal before he leaves office, despite a recent surge in Middle East violence.

"Ten months is a long time. There's plenty of time to get a deal done," Bush said after White House talks with Jordan's King Abdullah. Bush also said the goal of U.S. diplomacy was to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.

Bush spoke as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the Middle East, urging Israel and the Palestinians to resume U.S.-sponsored peace talks suspended over Israel's offensive in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, editing by Doina Chiacu)

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