Rice: Olmert, Abbas to Meet Every Other Week

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will be holding bi-weekly meetings in an attempt to bring about a two-state solution, despite failing efforts, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters at a news conference in Jerusalem Tuesday morning.

Rice said Olmert and Abbas will be meeting as part of the effort to “develop a political horizon” that will lead to the establishment of a PA state.



"We are not yet at final status negotiations," Rice said. She said President Bush and she were both committed to this "difficult undertaking" and that she would be accompanying the process, holding meetings "in parallel" to it. Secretary Rice urged Arab states and the international community to become more involved in the process.



"There is hard work ahead for Israel and the Palestinian Authority," Rice told reporters. She expressed concern about the lack of movement to date in talks between the Israeli Prime Minister and the PA Chairman, urging the

Olmert and Abbas will be meeting as part of the effort to “develop a political horizon”

PA to end its terrorist attacks against Israel and calling upon the Jewish State to resolve the issue of access between Gaza and other PA territories.



Confidence between the two parties has to be built, said Rice, who promised that the benefits would be two-fold: a state for the PA and security for Israel. Rice urged Arab nations to change their approach toward negotiations with Israel, using the 2002 Saudi Arabian peace proposal as a basis for talks. Arabs “have to reach out and convince Israel” that its nation will be more secure after it ends "the occupation” and a PA state is established, she said.



"We are opening doors here, not closing them," Rice said, acknowledging that peace might not occur "on our watch."

Last night, Rice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni held a joint press conference, at which Rice said, "I do not intend by any means to take control of the Palestinian-Israeli bilateral dialogue. It is extremely important that it continue. I made that clear the last time I was here. But my role is to assist the parties, and I have been doing it this time in parallel and I think that is good way to do it, to explore the issues before them, the possibilities of a political horizon - but also concrete issues of how to deal with their daily lives."