By Stan Goodenough
Oct 15, 2007
"Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state," visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Israel Monday, while standing next to PLO/PA terror chief Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Rice returned yet again to the Middle East Sunday hoping to push forward what is increasingly seen as a last-ditch effort by the Bush administration to see an Arab state carved out of ancient Jewish lands.
According to the website of the Israeli daily, Ha'aretz, Rice said US President George W. Bush has decided to make ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict one of the highest priorities of his administration.
Washington plans to host an international land-for-peace conference - which Rice will chair - late next month, shortly before the United States gets caught up in the 2008 presidential election race that will see the current administration rendered a virtual lame duck.
Two foreign-policy feathers are being sought for the Republican cap before the standoff against the ascendant Democrats in the bid for the White House are the establishment of a Palestinian state and the capture of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin-Laden.
Israeli media covering Rice's first day of meetings with officials in the Olmert government reported the American was forced to occupy herself more with addressing differences of expectation among the Israelis than with trying to bridge chasms between them and the Palestinian Arabs.
Rice also irked many Israelis by leveling a broadside against alleged ongoing Jewish settlement activity - which she called unhelpful - while failing to direct any criticism at the Arab side.
The PLO's failure to combat terrorism in its own ranks and reassert its authority over areas controlled by Hamas drew no parallel fire from the secretary.
Instead of naming any renewed efforts he intends to make to ensure the success of the November conference, Abbas seized on Rice's bias and "asked for US help in halting Israeli settlement expansion and construction of the separation fence," according to Ha'aretz.
Various Israeli media expressed a variety of opinions on the progress, or lack of progress, being made towards a successful summit.
The overall sense as of "press time", however, is that Rice is working to dampen expectations as she shuttles between Ramallah and Jerusalem.