 |
 |
 |
|
|
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shakes hands with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom shortly after her arrival to Jerusalem on Thursday. (AP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By israelinsider staff and partners July 22, 2005 |
|
| |
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who arrived to Israel on Thursday to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, took as her first order of business -- during a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom -- reminding the PA to continue fighting against terrorism. "The Palestinians have begun to act," she said. "I would just encourage them in that work because I am quite certain that Palestinian mothers and fathers and grandparents want a world in which their children can live in peace and prosperity just as Israeli parents and grandparents want the same for their children."
Palestinian action to stop attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad "must not be just a temporary response to specific attacks," added Shalom. "It must be adopted as a proactive strategy and a principle of policy so that our peace efforts can have any chance of success."
"This is a critical time in the history of this region," Rice had said before meeting with Shalom, and Dov Weisglass, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Rice is scheduled to see Sharon on Friday and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday. Her schedule was left loose so she can shuttle between the leaders with last-minute concerns.
Although Rice has repeatedly said the United States will take a back seat to Israel and the Palestinians as they work out their differences, her trip was a sign that she will pressure both sides to keep working.
The trip is Rice's third to Jerusalem and the West Bank since she took over as the top U.S. diplomat in January. True peace between autonomous Israeli and Palestinian states is probably years off, but the Bush administration has pledged to help both sides take the early steps.
"I look forward to talking with both the Israelis and the Palestinians about the need for tight coordination and for rapid resolution of a number of key issues" unresolved before the Gaza pullout, Rice said.
The AP contributed to this report.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
