JERUSALEM, 6 February 2005 — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes her first visit to the Middle East today since taking office, vowing that Washington will play an intensified role in the peace process amid growing optimism for a breakthrough.
Her two-day trip to Israel and the West Bank comes hours before Israeli and Palestinian leaders are to meet for the first time in over four years at a summit in Egypt, where many hope that a mutual cease-fire will be announced.
Rice has promised Washington will play an active role in the peace process after its relatively low profile during the last years of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who the White House dismissed as an obstacle to peace. However, the landscape changed dramatically with the election of moderate Mahmud Abbas after Arafat’s death, with Rice and President George W. Bush praising the new leader for taking action to prevent anti-Israeli attacks.
“I think you’ve seen something new that will help accelerate the (peace) process, and that is Abu Mazen (Abbas), who has been elected by the Palestinians, who’s showed strong leadership,” Bush said last week.
“He has declared that they will do everything they can to protect innocent life from terrorists, as well as consolidating security forces.”
However Rice, who is to hold talks today and tomorrow with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has warned of a “very hard road ahead” to realize the Palestinians’ goal of a viable independent state.
“I hope we won’t get into the habit of looking for the flash breakthrough,” Rice told reporters accompanying her on her European and Middle East tour.
“This is now a process that is moving and moving effectively. As long as it is moving and moving effectively we should be deeply satisfied with what is going on here.”
She has spoken of the need for both sides to make “fundamental choices” to implement the roadmap peace plan, which paves the way to a Palestinian state.
Tuesday’s summit between Abbas and Sharon in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh has been welcomed by Rice as a “very important” step to relaunch the roadmap, which has made next to no progress since its 2003 launch in Jordan.
