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Roadblocks: Rice presses Israel
05/05/2008 10:26 - (SA)
Jerusalem - In an effort to spur peace talks, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded that Israel do more to ease life for Palestinians in the West Bank by removing roadblocks.
Facing Palestinian frustration at the pace of the negotiations, Rice made unusually direct remarks on Sunday about the consequences of Israeli construction and roadblocks in the West Bank.
Palestinian claims that Israel is deliberately expanding Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a state have dampened hopes for a peace deal before US President George W Bush leaves office in January.
After seeing Rice early on Monday at the end of her mission, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The twin issues of settlements and roadblocks were likely to be on the agenda.
Asked about settlements, Rice said she "continues to raise with the Israelis the importance of creating an atmosphere that is conducive to negotiations".
"That means doing nothing, certainly, that would suggest that there is any prejudicing of the final terms" of a deal setting up a separate Palestinian state in the West Bank, Rice continued.
No hidden agenda
Israel isn't trying to expand settlements as land grab before an eventual withdrawal, the country's senior diplomat said.
"I can assure you Israel has no hidden agenda," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.
Livni pointed to Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as proof that Jewish settlements "are not obstacles" if the government decides it has a larger aim of peace with the Palestinians. Israel dismantled 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza when it pulled out.
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