WEST BANK: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, calls for more frequent and "deeper" talks with Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, calls for more frequent and "deeper" talks with Israel. Hamas criticises trip as public relations stunt. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israel and the Palestinians on Thursday (August 2) to talk about the key issues that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. Six weeks after Hamas Islamists took over the Gaza Strip, Rice visited the West Bank to bolster the Fatah leader and his government and promote a U.S.-backed Middle East peace conference due later this year. After meeting the Israeli leadership on Wednesday, Rice was greeted in the West Bank city of Ramallah by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, before going on to a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas. Rice wants to get peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians back on track, and said she looked forward to more meetings between Abbas and Israeli Primie Minister Ehud Olmert. The most troublesome areas under discussion are the so-called final status matters -- the future of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return for refugees. Israel is balking at such a broad commitment at this stage. But Rice noted Olmert had said he was ready to discuss fundamental issues leading to a Palestinian state, though there were no details. She said the desire to move towards a two state solution "seems to me to be there on both sides". Abbas and Olmert are due to meet next week. At a joint news conference with Rice, Abbas spoke of negotiating what he termed a "declaration of principles". He said it was important for Palestinians "to know what the result will be, what the end game will be". Abbas said that Palestinians would not be deterred from their aims. "We want to achieve an independent state, we want to move with our people to stability and a fruitful economic life," he said. On streets of Hebron, Rice's visit received a mixed reception though some like local Abdel Hakim said they held hopes for change. "We hope the meeting will be effective and be good for all parties, and will make in particular the Palestinian people happy -- this is the important thing". Analysts are pessimistic about Rice's new push, coming at a time when the Palestinian territories are divided between Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip in June, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah whose forces dominate the West Bank. Hamas leader Mahmoud Azzahar described the visit as "a public relations stunt". "This is an attempt to give the impression that something might happen for the Palestinian people from these visits. The money that is allocated using these methods have all been against the Palestinian well-being and has harmed whoever took it," he said. Rice signed an agreement to provide funding for Abbas's security forces. There are terms and conditions under which the money can be used. A senior official travelling with Rice said the funding was part of about $80 million promised by the Bush administration to reform the security forces. She has made clear she has faith in Abbas and says he is entitled to negotiate on behalf of all Palestinians.

ITN Source | August 3, 2007

Tags:. .borders. .faith. .aims. .whose. .commitment