By Barak Ravid, Yoav Stern, and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service   
tags: Condoleezza Rice, Labor  
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice won't return to the region before the Mideast peace conference at the end of the month in Annapolis, Maryland.
Rice visited Israel and the West Bank three times in the past two months to encourage peace talks ahead of the conference. White House Spokesman Sean McCormack said Rice will continue consulting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas over the phone. McCormack also confirmed U.S. President George W. Bush's attendance at the conference. Its exact date has not been officially announced.
Sources in Jerusalem said took Rice's decision as a good sign, suggesting she won't visit because talks are progressing and the sides don't need pressuring.
However, during a meeting at the ranch of Saudi King Abdullah, Abbas voiced his pessimism on the conference's chance for success and his dissatisfaction with Israel over unwillingness to achieve the minimum level of what is acceptable by Palestinians, said Jamal al-Shobaki, Palestinian ambassador to Riyadh, on Saturday.
The Saudi king, who has previously expressed skepticism over the conference, like many Arab leaders, echoed Abbas' concerns, the ambassador said.
"The Arab side is calling for the implementation of the first phase of the peace process' road map, which includes halt in the construction and a dismantling of settlements in addition to the formation of a clear agenda for the conference and a timetable for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in the aftermath of the conference," said the official.
"The three issues are intertwined and give a clear indication of whether Israelis are serious or not," al-Shobaki said. "But the indications we have received so far from Israelis are not positive."
"If political momentum and international pressures haven't worked in halting construction of settlements, who or what could?" al-Shobaki asked.
Palestinian sources said this week that the Saudis are furious that Israel is not willing to mention in the summit's concluding remarks the Arab League peace proposal as a take-off point toward final-settlement negotiations. Saudi Arabia had put forth that proposal.
Some Arab officials are worried that if Israel stays steadfast in its refusal, the Saudis will refuse to participate in the Annapolis conference, and the Arab League will follow suit.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said that Arab countries will adopt a unified stance on the conference at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Cairo on November 22.
However, Syria will participate in the Annapolis peace conference, even with a low-level delegation, senior Russian officials told their Israeli counterparts Thursday.
Syria has repeatedly said it will not attend the Annapolis conference unless the discussions include the return of the Golan Heights. But the Russian envoys expressed the view that "Syria does not want to be left outside [the Annapolis summit]," adding that Syria "only wants Israel to be a little more flexible."
Moussa's comments followed a meeting in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who reiterated that any peace initiative that does not include talks on the occupied Golan Heights would not be serious and could not achieve a just peace in the region.
Barak will attend Annapolis
Meanwhile, Olmert has officially invited Defense Minister Ehud Barak to join the peace summit, and Barak accepted the invitation, Israel Radio reported.
The central committee of the Labor Party, which Barak chairs, will meet on Sunday to discuss the conference.
Labor MK Ephraim Sneh demanded the committee convene amidst criticism within the party of what members say is Barak's failure to take political advantage of the summit.
During the meeting, committee members will vote on a resolution affirming the party's commitment to the peace promise. Sneh maintains that a commitment of this type will provide a balance to attempts by Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu, both part of the government coalition, to thwart the success of Annapoli
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