According to senior Israeli diplomats, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to pressure Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to reach a “Statement of Principles” during her visit in Israel. Rice has often expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations between Olmert and officials in the Palestinian Authority, the diplomats said, and will attempt to speed the process along.
As Rice began her visit in the Middle East, she called on Israel and the PA to put more effort into negotiations. “We can’t keep saying we want a two-state solution, we need to begin working in order to get there,” Rice said.