Rice In Search Of Mideast "Common Agenda"

U.S. Secretary Of State, U.N. Chief Add Their Clout To Attempts To End Mideast Peacemaking Impasse

(CBS/AP)  The "Quartet" of Mideast peacemakers have demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel, and accept past peace agreements.

Israel welcomed the decisions by Rice and Ban not to meet with Hamas officials.

"We are happy to see world leaders and prominent figures like the secretary general continuing to uphold the Quartet principles," said Eisin, the Israeli government spokeswoman.

The new government platform falls short of the conditions, though moderate Palestinians say it implicitly recognizes Israel by "respecting" peace agreements. Abbas, who hopes to restart peace talks with Israel, has said the deal is the best he can get from Hamas.

Palestinian officials rejected the notion of diplomatic cherry-picking.

"This government is one team," Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti said. "Whoever meets with one member is meeting with the whole government."

Ban's comments indicated the challenges the Palestinians still face in selling their government to the West.

With the exception of a senior Norwegian official, a stream of foreign officials in recent days has refused to meet with Hamas Cabinet members. And the withheld funding has not been restored.

Ban is scheduled to meet with Olmert on Monday. He said he would urge the Israeli leader to release frozen Palestinian funds, ease travel restrictions in Palestinian areas and halt settlement activity in the West Bank.

Ban and Rice are in the area ahead of the Arab Summit, which is to revive the 2002 peace plan. The proposal calls for full diplomatic relations between the entire Arab world and the Jewish state in exchange for full Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israel is cool to a full withdrawal. It also objects to the plan's apparent endorsement of the right of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to properties in what is now Israel. The Israelis say a large-scale return of refugees would mean the end of the country's identity as a Jewish state.

Rice told reporters she would not seek changes in the Saudi plan, saying it is a matter for negotiations.

The U.N. chief started his day Sunday visiting the Aida refugee camp near the West Bank town of Bethlehem and inspecting Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank.

Israel says it built the enclosure to keep out Palestinian militants, who have killed hundreds of Israelis in bombing and shooting attacks. Palestinians oppose the route of the barrier, which places some 10 percent of the West Bank on the "Israeli" side.

"This has strengthened my resolve and commitment to work for peace in the Middle East," Ban said. "This is a very sad and tragic thing to see many suffering from the construction of this wall, depriving opportunities for basic living."