Rice holds meetings in Jordan
King Abdullah urges US to step up its involvement in Middle East peace process.
After Monday’s summit with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, Rice told a news conference that the two sides had reaffirmed their commitment to peace and previous agreements.
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“The land of Israel belongs to both Jews and Palestinians – as long as there are people who reject this fact, the conflict will never be solved” Iskander, Boston, USA |
“I also want the Quartet to play a political role. I plan to sit and strategise with them about how we do that.”
Abbas argued on Monday that the unity government deal reached with the ruling Hamas party includes implicit recognition of these conditions and formally authorises him to negotiate with Israel.
The Palestinian president met King Abdullah on Tuesday before a trip to Europe to garner support for the unity government.
‘Diplomatic efforts’
“The meeting tried to create a political horizon, but instead underlined the fact that there was no political horizon.”
Only the “promotion of dialogue” came out of Rice’s meeting in Jordan [EPA] |
Timing with her trip to Jordan, Rice had invited security and intelligence chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates for talks.
Tuesday’s session at the government security headquarters in Amman included some of the region’s best-connected heavies, fixers and go-betweens, including Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi national security adviser, and Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence head.
Speaking after the summit at a meeting with politicians from his Kadima Party, Olmert said he would maintain contact with Abbas, despite his dissatisfaction with the incoming unity government.