ISRAEL/EGYPT: After meeting with Egyptian President Mubarak in Cairo, Rice arrives in Jerusalem to urge resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Jerusalem on Wednesday (October 4, 2006) for a two-day visit to the region where she is scheduled to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and urge both sides to resume dialogue. Rice will hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah later on Wednesday before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a private dinner. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Secretary of State held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo for before heading off to Jersualem. On Tuesday (October 3), Arab officials who met her in Cairo spoke vehemently of the need to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, speaking after talks with Rice in Cairo, did not directly demand Washington do more to promote peace talks but both made clear they hoped renewed U.S. efforts would help. Rice is visiting the region to try to garner Arab support for Abbas as well as embattled governments in Lebanon and Iraq. In a news conference held earlier in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert referred to Rice's upcoming visit. "The issues on the table are ongoing issues, the Palestinian issue will be coming up probably some of the issues that have to do with Lebanon and everything that has to be resolved there. You're all very aware of some of the issues on the table and it's part of the ongoing process. The Secretary of State has been visiting different states on this tour, not just Israel, and this is part of the ongoing tour," Eisin said. Critics believe U.S. President George W. Bush has never devoted sufficient time to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and are sceptical Rice's trip heralds any new, sustained focus. Rice's visit to the region comes in the wake of deadly internal clashes in the Palestinian territories between the ruling Hamas party and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party. The U.S. has boycotted the elected Hamas government and has recently declared that its strategy will be to bolster President Abbas.

ITN Source | October 4, 2006

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