MIDDLE EAST: Israeli-Palestinian talks hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ends with vague promises and little progress

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders ended with a vague promise to meet again and little sign of progress on reviving long-stalled peace moves. Israeli-Palestinian talks hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended on Monday (February 19) with a vague promise to meet again and little sign of progress on reviving long-stalled peace moves. The talks, attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, were overshadowed by a Palestinian unity deal that calmed factional fighting but cast a new cloud over prospects for peace with Israel. All three of us affirmed our commitment to a two-state solution (and) agreed that a Palestinian state can not be born of violence and terror, Rice said, reading out a joint statement after the more than two-hour meeting in a Jerusalem hotel. "The president and the prime minister discussed their views of the diplomatic and political horizon and how it might unfold towards the vision of the two-state vision of President Bush. The president and prime minister agreed that they would meet together again soon. They reiterated their desire for American participation and leadership in facilitating efforts to overcome obstacles, rally regional and international support and move forward towards peace. In that vain I expect to return to the region soon," Rice told reporters. Rice did not give a date, but said she expected to return to the region soon. This was her 10th visit to Jerusalem since becoming Secretary of State two years ago and her fourth trip in just over four months. Olmert said to his Kadima party after the meeting that Israel and the United States agreed to boycott the Palestinian government, which has yet to be formed, unless it renounced violence, recognised Israel and accepted existing interim peace accords. "We will not recognise any government that does not carry out these obligations, and we will not cooperate with it or any of its ministers. I decided ... we have to maintain a channel of communications with the Palestinian, and the sole possible channel is the president of the Palestinian Authority who was elected directly by the public," Olmert said. Rice did not address the issue in her brief remarks after the meeting, but noted it was the position of Middle East mediators known as the 'Quartet' that the terms must be met. Speaking in Gaza, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Washington should change its stance because the unity government agenda 'gives a large room for political movement', but offered no details. "The American position remains negative and it continues to oppose the formation of a national unity government despite of the Palestinian agreement in Mecca. Unfortunately the American administration continues to deal with the old position of boycott and isolation, which had failed," Haniyeh told his care taker cabinet. The Quartet, comprised of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, is set to meet in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss the Abbas-Olmert meeting and how to deal with the new coalition. The unity government deal, forged in Mecca, Saudi Arabia earlier this month, helped curtail Palestinian factional warfare that killed 90 people in recent weeks.

ITN Source | February 20, 2007

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