The trilateral summit between the United States, Israel and the Palestinian Authority ended on Monday afternoon without any positive results regarding the final status talks. Israeli sources reported that Israel is now planning a bigger summit that would include the U.S, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan.Rice held a press conference after the summit but did not provide much information regarding the issues discussed at the meeting.
Israeli sources reported that Israel “hopes that Abbas and Olmert will meet again”, and added that Rice will be back in the region soon, the ‘Arabs48’ news website reported.
Following a two-hour meeting between Rice, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Rice stated that she will be back in the Middle-East soon in order “to push forward the stalled peace process”, and that Olmert and Abbas agreed to meet again “soon”.
According to Rice, all parties confirmed that they are committed to a two-state solution and that the Palestinian State “cannot be created by violence and terrorism”.
She stated that Olmert and Abbas reaffirmed their commitment to the previously signed peace agreements, and expressed willingness to receive American intervention into the peace process in the Middle-East “in order to overcome obstacles, and recruit regional and international support to the peace process”.
Israel placed several demands in order to deal with the new Palestinian National Unity government; Israel wants the direct and unconditional release of the captured soldier, Gilad Shalit, and wants Hamas to officially recognize Israel, renounce violence, and accept the previously signed peace deals.
Hamas said that it cannot recognize a country that is still occupying the Palestinian people and does not recognize their right of liberation and independence.
Israel still insists that the new government does not comply with the demands of the Quartet.
