Schwarzenegger visits Israel, Jordan

TEL AVIV (AP) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opened a visit to the Middle East on Saturday, announcing job-growth ventures with several Israeli companies and scheduling a surprise detour to Jordan after being criticized for snubbing Palestinians during his trip.
The celebrity governor's first foreign sojourn since taking office was anchored by a speech he was to give today at the site of a planned tolerance museum in Jerusalem.
The governor's father was a member of the Nazi party, but the actor-turned-politician has always sought to distance himself from that part of his Austrian background.
"Because I come from a country where we have seen a history of prejudice that resulted in terrible atrocities, so I always made it my commitment that I wanted to go around the world to promote tolerance," Schwarzenegger said Saturday.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.