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Rice Leans On Israel In Bid To Boost Peace Talks

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The Associated Press

Published: May 5, 2008

JERUSALEM - Facing mounting Palestinian frustration at the pace of peace talks, the United States leaned on Israel on Sunday to lift restrictions that chafe West Bank residents and stifle an already limping economy.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not directly criticize the close U.S. ally, but made unusually direct remarks about the consequences of Israeli housing and roadblocks in the West Bank.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sounded increasingly pessimistic. He accuses Israel of undermining talks by continuing to build Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians claim for a future state, and refusing to remove hundreds of military checkpoints that dot the West Bank.

Rice emphasized that a year-end goal for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is still achievable, even though both sides question whether the target is realistic.

Rice shuttled between Israel and the West Bank, passing red-roofed Jewish settlements and illegal outposts as she went, to prod progress ahead of Bush's visit to Israel this month to mark the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state, which has rankled some Palestinians who say the United States is too close to Israel to act as an honest broker.

In pushing the peace deal, Rice said Israeli gestures in the West Bank must have a "real effect" on the lives of people there.

"We are trying to look not just at quantity, but also quality of improvements."

Israel maintains hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints throughout the West Bank, saying they are needed to protect settlements and prevent would-be attackers from crossing into Israel.

ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

•Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, at the weekly meeting of his Cabinet, said he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today. Abbas visited Washington two weeks ago and has complained that months of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have yielded no progress.

•Olmert said Sunday that he would not let a new police investigation into his conduct prevent him from doing his job. Olmert was questioned at his Jerusalem residence Friday in connection with the case, whose content has been subjected to a court gag order.

•Hamas started using police cars Sunday to ferry Palestinians around the Gaza Strip because of severe fuel shortages. Israel has restricted fuel supplies to Gaza in an attempt to pressure Palestinian militants to halt rocket barrages at Israeli communities.

Source: The Associated Press

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