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US holds rare Middle East summit US holds rare Middle East summit
(about 1 hour later)
United States-brokered talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders have taken place in Jerusalem. The US secretary of state says she will be returning soon to the Middle East to support Israel-Palestinian peace talks.
It is US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's first joint talks with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. Condoleezza Rice was speaking after her first joint meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem.
Ms Rice has been lowering expectations of progress in the peace process. Mr Rice reported no tangible progress at the rare summit, except to say that the leaders agreed to meet again soon.
Palestinian Authority President Abbas has recently agreed a power sharing deal with the ruling Hamas movement which is sworn to Israel's destruction.Palestinian Authority President Abbas has recently agreed a power sharing deal with the ruling Hamas movement which is sworn to Israel's destruction.
The deal earlier this month between Hamas and Mr Abbas's Fatah movement ended weeks of internal fighting that has cost more than 90 lives.The deal earlier this month between Hamas and Mr Abbas's Fatah movement ended weeks of internal fighting that has cost more than 90 lives.
Mr Olmert said on Sunday that US President George W Bush had privately promised Washington would join Israel in shunning any government including Hamas.Mr Olmert said on Sunday that US President George W Bush had privately promised Washington would join Israel in shunning any government including Hamas.
But Ms Rice said the US would reserve judgement until the proposed national unity government had been formed.But Ms Rice said the US would reserve judgement until the proposed national unity government had been formed.
Sitting aloneSitting alone
Mr Abbas, Mr Olmert and Ms Rice exchanged polite smiles and shook hands before sitting at a table in a bare room in a luxury Jerusalem hotel. The summit in a luxury West Jerusalem hotel began with Mr Abbas, Mr Olmert and Ms Rice exchanging polite smiles and shaking hands, before they sat round a small table.
The peace process has to be initiated by the countries in the mid east themselves, the US cannot do it Millan, Brunswick, Maine, USA Your say: Can Rice help? The meeting was expected to last two hours, and the three would sit alone, accompanied only by interpreters, officials said. They reiterated their desire for American participation and leadership in facilitating efforts to overcome obstacles Condoleezza Rice Your say: Can Rice help? The three were alone, without aides, accompanied only by Ms Rice's Arabic interpreter.
Ms Rice was extremely circumspect in the run-up to the meeting and declined even to discuss the agenda. After about an hour, they moved to Ms Rice's suite overlooking the Old City, in East Jerusalem.
"Not only am I not going to talk about what we're going to talk about before going in, I'm probably not going to talk about it coming out," she said on Sunday. Some 90 minutes later, Ms Rice appeared alone to give a brief statement without taking questions.
The last summit attended by a top US official took place in 2003, when Mr Rice's predecessor Colin Powell met former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Mr Abbas, who was then Palestinian prime minister. "The president and [Israeli] Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] agreed that they would meet together again soon," Ms Rice said.
The fact that no joint news conference has been scheduled after the three-way summit - just a statement by Dr Rice - suggests expectations are low, correspondents say. "They reiterated their desire for American participation and leadership in facilitating efforts to overcome obstacles, rally regional and international support and move forward toward peace."
"In that vein I expect to return to the region soon," she said.
The last Israeli-Palestinian summit attended by a top US official took place in 2003, chaired by Mr Rice's predecessor Colin Powell.
Falling shortFalling short
The meeting - billed last month as the launch of a new US initiative to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations - has been eclipsed by the Fatah-Hamas agreement signed in Mecca earlier in February. Monday's meeting - billed last month as the launch of a new US initiative to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations - has been eclipsed by the Fatah-Hamas agreement signed in Mecca earlier in February.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas now has five weeks to get a new cabinet accepted by the Hamas-dominated parliament.Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas now has five weeks to get a new cabinet accepted by the Hamas-dominated parliament.
The US and Israel have stressed that any future Palestinian administration must recognise Israel, renounce violence and commit to previous agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.The US and Israel have stressed that any future Palestinian administration must recognise Israel, renounce violence and commit to previous agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
But correspondents say the broad-brush outlines of the Hamas-Fatah deal appear to fall short of international conditions to end the government's diplomatic isolation and reopen sources of desperately-needed funding. Hamas has agreed to "respect" past peace agreements, but says it is not ready to alter its fundamentally anti-Israeli philosophy.
There are also doubts about whether two embattled leaders like Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas are strong enough to take decisive steps towards peace. The diplomatic isolation of the Hamas-led government and its economic boycott by Israel and western countries have been accompanied by a drastic decline in living standards in the Palestinian territories and deadly inter-factional violence.
Palestinians were infuriated on Sunday when Mr Olmert appeared to prejudge the outcome of their unity deal, saying that President Bush had already agreed to boycott the government unless Hamas recognises Israel and renounces violence.