February 11, 2009 5:09 PM
- Text
Rice In Search Of Mideast "Common Agenda"
(CBS/AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that it is important for Israel and the Palestinians to establish a "common agenda" to move forward on creating a Palestinian state, appearing to break ranks with Israel, which has ruled out peace talks for now.
For the fourth time in four months Rice is back in the Middle East, trying to do what she had been unable to do on the previous three visits: kick start a thoroughly stalled peace process, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Mark Phillips.
Secretary Rice's hope, she said, was not for what she called a 'big bang' breakthrough, but to prepare the ground.
All parties need to have a "destination in mind" to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rice said in a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But she conceded the sides were far apart and offered no specific proposal to get long-stalled peace talks moving again.
Abbas aides said the two also explored ways to get moderate Arab states involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace-making. A 2002 Arab peace initiative, which offers recognition of Israel in exchange for a withdrawal from all lands Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast War, is to be revived at an Arab Summit next week.
In one proposal raised Sunday, a committee appointed at the summit would serve as a contact for the Quartet of Mideast mediators — the United States, the U.N., the EU and Russia — as well as Israel and the Palestinians.
Rice and Abbas held their first meeting since the Islamic militant Hamas and Abbas' more moderate Fatah Party formed a new coalition government last week.
While Rice was speaking of finding a resolution to the decades-old conflict, Israel has said it will not conduct peace talks with Abbas now that he has joined forces with Hamas.
Rice said she would meet twice with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during her fourth trip to the region in as many months. "It's extremely important to establish a common agenda to move forward toward the establishment" of a Palestinian state, she said.
"I think it can help all of us to have a destination in mind," Rice said, but acknowledged that direct negotiations between the sides are unlikely in the current climate.
"I think this time it is best to talk about that political horizon in parallel. But I sincerely hope in the future the parties themselves can talk about the political horizon themselves," she said.
Rice met Olmert at his Jerusalem residence late Sunday. No details were available about the talks.
Abbas said he talked with Rice about holding more meetings with Olmert. "All these meetings are part of the bilateral relations with Israel and the future vision that we are all seeking and working toward," Abbas said.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Rice told Abbas that "the Israeli approach is not enough."
Earlier Sunday, Abbas met with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, who said the time is "not yet fully ripe" to meet with officials from the Islamic militant Hamas group. Ban met with non-Hamas members of the new coalition. Rice snubbed even U.S.-backed moderates in the Cabinet.
Hamas and Fatah have expressed hope their alliance would end international isolation of the previous hard-line Hamas government.
U.S. and European diplomats have held a stream of contacts with moderate members of the new coalition while avoiding Hamas ministers. Hamas has killed more than 250 Israelis in suicide bombings and refuses to recognize the Jewish state.
"At this time, I do not have plans to meet with Prime Minister Haniyeh or other Hamas Cabinet ministers," Ban said, expressing hope the new government's actions would "show a genuine commitment to the basic principles ... of peace."
For the fourth time in four months Rice is back in the Middle East, trying to do what she had been unable to do on the previous three visits: kick start a thoroughly stalled peace process, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Mark Phillips.
Secretary Rice's hope, she said, was not for what she called a 'big bang' breakthrough, but to prepare the ground.
All parties need to have a "destination in mind" to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rice said in a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But she conceded the sides were far apart and offered no specific proposal to get long-stalled peace talks moving again.
Abbas aides said the two also explored ways to get moderate Arab states involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace-making. A 2002 Arab peace initiative, which offers recognition of Israel in exchange for a withdrawal from all lands Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast War, is to be revived at an Arab Summit next week.
In one proposal raised Sunday, a committee appointed at the summit would serve as a contact for the Quartet of Mideast mediators — the United States, the U.N., the EU and Russia — as well as Israel and the Palestinians.
Rice and Abbas held their first meeting since the Islamic militant Hamas and Abbas' more moderate Fatah Party formed a new coalition government last week.
While Rice was speaking of finding a resolution to the decades-old conflict, Israel has said it will not conduct peace talks with Abbas now that he has joined forces with Hamas.
Rice said she would meet twice with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during her fourth trip to the region in as many months. "It's extremely important to establish a common agenda to move forward toward the establishment" of a Palestinian state, she said.
"I think it can help all of us to have a destination in mind," Rice said, but acknowledged that direct negotiations between the sides are unlikely in the current climate.
"I think this time it is best to talk about that political horizon in parallel. But I sincerely hope in the future the parties themselves can talk about the political horizon themselves," she said.
Rice met Olmert at his Jerusalem residence late Sunday. No details were available about the talks.
Abbas said he talked with Rice about holding more meetings with Olmert. "All these meetings are part of the bilateral relations with Israel and the future vision that we are all seeking and working toward," Abbas said.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Rice told Abbas that "the Israeli approach is not enough."
Earlier Sunday, Abbas met with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, who said the time is "not yet fully ripe" to meet with officials from the Islamic militant Hamas group. Ban met with non-Hamas members of the new coalition. Rice snubbed even U.S.-backed moderates in the Cabinet.
Hamas and Fatah have expressed hope their alliance would end international isolation of the previous hard-line Hamas government.
U.S. and European diplomats have held a stream of contacts with moderate members of the new coalition while avoiding Hamas ministers. Hamas has killed more than 250 Israelis in suicide bombings and refuses to recognize the Jewish state.
"At this time, I do not have plans to meet with Prime Minister Haniyeh or other Hamas Cabinet ministers," Ban said, expressing hope the new government's actions would "show a genuine commitment to the basic principles ... of peace."
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