Seeking Ways to Boost Abbas, Rice and Olmert Discuss Palestinian Situation

Last evening, Secretary Rice and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert met in Jerusalem. Among the topics discussed were the public remarks from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he would not return to contacts on forming a unity government and that any Palestinian government would be obligated to accept the Quartet conditions.

Olmert said he is willing to assist Abbas in implementing the Road Map and in creating a better atmosphere, and that the Karni goods crossing would soon be reopened. More details were to follow in Rice's meeting with Minister of Defense Amir Peretz later today. However, Olmert said that despite the desire to render assistance, he would not agree to the release of Palestinian prisoners before Gilad Shalit is returned to Israel since such a release would embolden Hamas to increase its demands for returning Gilad.

They also discussed the issue of tax revenues. Olmert said that Israel would present ideas on humanitarian assistance, such as aid to hospitals, medicines, etc., and noted that he and British PM Tony Blair had discussed various ideas for improving the Palestinians' quality of life. While Israel has an interest in this issue, it would not be correct for Israel to take the lead in its regard.

On the Lebanese issue, they discussed the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, especially vis-à-vis UNIFIL and the embargo. Olmert stressed that it was very important to continue to prevent Iran and Syria from arming Hezbollah.

The cornerstone of Rice's visit to the region is to find ways to improve conditions for Palestinians in a way that credit for doing so boosts Abbas against his opponents in Hamas. The strategy was not lost on Palestinain PM Ismail Haniyeh. Alluding to a meeting of the foreign ministers of eight Arab states the U.S. views as "moderate" that Rice presided over in Cairo before coming to Israel and the West Bank, Haniyeh said Rice's visit was intended to "categorize the states in the region."