United States officials have called on both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate progress in secret peace talks, according to the Associated Press. The message was passed on to both sides by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Rice warned that both PA Arabs and Israelis lacked confidence in their leaders’ ability to bring results via negotiations. The negotiations have been kept under wraps, leaving both the Israeli and Arab public unaware of what negotiators are planning.
Rice told reporters that she had discussed the issue with Israeli and Arab politicians, but said the US had not given the sides a specific plan. Rice has previously called on Israel to demonstrate progress by removing checkpoints and roadblocks in Judea and Samaria, including several that IDF officials said were necessary for Israel’s security.