"I hope we would all get into a mind-set that says if the parties are able to continue to move on their own, that's the very best outcome," Rice explained to reporters this morning on her way to Ankara.
Sworn in to her new position only nine days ago, Secretary Rice will pay a visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, will later meet with him and then with President Moshe Katzav, and will dine this evening with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Tomorrow morning, Ms. Rice will visit in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). She is set to depart at 2 PM for the U.S.
The Sharm a-Sheikh summit will take place at the initiative of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Israel asked that it be put off until Thursday so that Sharon and Abu Mazen could meet first, but Egypt refused.
On the other hand, Mubarak says he is willing to visit Israel for the first time, if he receives an official invitation from Sharon. Tuesday's summit will mark the first face-to-face meeting between the two since Sharon took office four years ago. The last time an Egyptian president visited Israel – Sadat in 1977 – the result was the first Israeli-Arab peace treaty and Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai.
Sharon's aide flew to Cairo today, as did Jordan's Foreign Minister, to help prepare the summit.