By Joshua Mitnick - JERUSALEM — The Bush administration hopes to get as close as possible to establishing a Palestinian state during its remaining months in office, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday at the start of a five-day Middle East shuttle mission.
Speaking to reporters en route to Israel, Miss Rice acknowledged "a lot of work" will be necessary before Palestinian statehood, but she promised a 100 percent effort and suggested that the chance for a peace deal has never been better.
"You've got the broadest possible Israeli agreement that a Palestinian state is in Israel's interest. I don't think we've ever been there before," she said. "And on that basis, you know, we have an opportunity to try to move this as far forward as we possibly can."
The secretary is trying to help Israelis and Palestinians negotiate a joint statement for a conference next month in Annapolis that is meant to prepare a framework for future negotiations toward a final peace treaty.
Administration officials have sought to dampen expectations about the talks after widespread speculation that the Israeli-Palestinian document will contain landmark compromises on the core issues — the status of Jerusalem, the future of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a right of return for Palestinian refugees.
"Maybe the expectations are a little bit too high right now," said a senior State Department official. "We're not even in the second half of the ballgame."
Miss Rice, who held meetings in Jerusalem yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and top Cabinet ministers, is to visit Ramallah in the West Bank today for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The mission — her seventh to the region since the beginning of the year — will include talks with heads of state from Egypt and Jordan. The visits reflect the administration's conviction that any Israeli-Palestinian agreement will require vocal support from Arab regimes allied with the U.S. to help the Palestinian Authority fend off hard-line critics, such as the Islamist militant group Hamas.
The beginning of Miss Rice's trip was complicated by reports that Israel is confiscating West Bank land to build a new road outside Jerusalem. Miss Rice said she was told by Israel that any building in the region is meant to improve Palestinian mobility — something that has been severely restricted in recent years by Israeli army roadblocks.
But she warned Israel that any change in the status quo in the West Bank — even if done on the Palestinians' behalf — is likely to jeopardize the talks.
"We have to be very careful as we're trying to move toward the establishment of a Palestinian state [to avoid] actions and statement that erode confidence in the parties' commitment to a two-state solution," she said.
"And even if the intentions are good, and even if the actual events on the ground are intended to produce a certain kind of outcome, you know, this is a very delicate time."
Teams of Israeli and Palestinian negotiations are just starting to draft the statement that is expected to be presented at the Annapolis meeting. Officials said Miss Rice will not mediate the talks, but wants to hear the concerns of each side to get a sense on how far apart they are.
The peace teams are headed by veteran peace negotiator and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, nicknamed Abu Ala, and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Some of the secretary's meetings focused on Mr. Olmert's coalition partners, many of whom have expressed reluctance to make historic compromises at a time when Mr. Abbas struggles against Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Miss Rice met with Eli Yishai, leader of the ultrareligious Shas Party, which has a conservative base on peace issues. She also is also scheduled to meet with Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who famously suggested that Israel cede its Arab villages in return for Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Some Israeli analysts think the two men may threaten to withdraw from Mr. Olmert's government if it makes any far-reaching compromises.
With stops in Bethlehem and the Tel Aviv suburb Herzliya, Miss Rice allotted more time than usual in this trip to meet with Palestinian and Israeli intellectuals and community activists.
"In previous trips, we felt like we didn't get out enough," said the State Department official.
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