Rice wants Palestinian-Israeli Peace Declaration Now

Haaretz headline:

 Israeli official: Rice wants draft declaration before Bush visit 
The story:

A senior Israeli official said Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was testing the water during her current visit to the region to see if it would be possible to present a draft declaration on a Middle East agreement before President George Bush's visit in May.

 

The official said Rice was interested in a draft delcaration or memorandum of understanding as an interim "achievement" when Bush returns to the region in May to mark the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding.

 

"She wants something before he comes in May," the official said.

A senior Western diplomat said the proposed document would present "the final status issues without the details."

 

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who attended Rice's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, said the secretary of state did not propose crafting any interim documents for Bush's return.

 

Such a document could be crafted - a memorandum of disagreement. The issues are return of the Arab refuges, return of the Jewish refugees, United or divided Jerusalem, Israel as a state of the Jewish people... On each one, the Israelis and the Arabs of Palestine seem to  have diametrically opposed views.

 

Ami Isseroff

 

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