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U.S. President George Bush is sending
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East Friday for talks in
Egypt, Israel and Jordan aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the
story.
President Bush says he is sending Secretary Rice
back to the Middle East because securing peace there is a U.S. priority.
"She's going to continue our efforts to involve all parties -- the
Palestinians, the Israelis, Arabs -- to work for a solution that will lead
to peace, and that is a Palestinian state, living side-by-side with Israel
in peace and security," said President Bush.
Rice is scheduled to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials, as
well as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah.
President Bush says he has been in contact with regional allies to
remind them of what he says is his strong commitment to the two-state
solution.
"This will be hard work. It's not easy to get all parties headed in the
right direction," he said. "But it's necessary work for this country, and
it's necessary for our secretary of state, with my strong approval, to be
moving the process forward."
Rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah agreed on a unity government
earlier this month in Saudi-sponsored talks.
The Bush administration says it will have contacts with non-Hamas
members of the new government. But the administration will not deal with
Hamas, which it lists as a terrorist group, and which refuses to recognize
Israel, renounce violence and abide by past peace accords.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his country is willing to make
what he calls painful concessions to advance the long-stalled peace
process.
He says a Saudi initiative calling for Israel to return all territory
occupied in 1967 in exchange for normal relations with Arab neighbors
could be a convenient basis for future talks. | 
