The American Secretary of State originally tacked the visit to Israel onto her trip to Africa because of fears that the recent suicide bombing in Netanya and a massive mortar and rocket barrage on Israeli towns would destroy the expulsion plan.
The violence forced PA chairman Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) to use force against Hamas terrorists, who have engaged the PA police force in clashes over the course of several days, causing deaths and injuries. Looking forward to Rice's visit, he hammered out a truce Wednesday night with Hamas. Quiet was reported on Gaza streets Thursday morning.
American media reported that Washington tried to arrange a meeting between Abu Mazen and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but that the Prime Minister refuses to meet with him until after the planned expulsion of Jewish residents and withdrawal from Gaza of IDF forces.
Stephen P. Cohen, national scholar for the Israel Policy Forum, said Rice will not succeed “unless she makes it clear that the U.S. will support [Abbas] politically, so he can go to the people in the election and say he has a firm American commitment to move beyond Gaza, to begin to deal with the future of the West Bank and Gaza.”
Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, charged that the American government is “investing more and more” in a Gaza plan that he maintains will lead to worse violence. “It’s an ill-conceived mission, but it fits into a long legacy of ill-conceived Mideast missions,” he said.
The success of Rice's trip "is at the mercy" of terrorists over which she has no influence, Reuters reported. The report quoted an unnamed American official as saying that Rice's job is to make Arabs see "there really is a plan" that is good for them.
Abu Mazen will be asking Rice for American political support and money. Sharon will meet Rice Friday at his HaShikmim Ranch in southern Israel after she meets Thursday night with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Friday morning with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz.
An Israeli official said Rice will try to get Israel and the PA to settle outstanding issues, including moving PA police security forces from Judea and Samaria to Gaza, construction of a deep seaport and reopening the Gaza airport.
The violence forced PA chairman Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) to use force against Hamas terrorists, who have engaged the PA police force in clashes over the course of several days, causing deaths and injuries. Looking forward to Rice's visit, he hammered out a truce Wednesday night with Hamas. Quiet was reported on Gaza streets Thursday morning.
American media reported that Washington tried to arrange a meeting between Abu Mazen and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but that the Prime Minister refuses to meet with him until after the planned expulsion of Jewish residents and withdrawal from Gaza of IDF forces.
Stephen P. Cohen, national scholar for the Israel Policy Forum, said Rice will not succeed “unless she makes it clear that the U.S. will support [Abbas] politically, so he can go to the people in the election and say he has a firm American commitment to move beyond Gaza, to begin to deal with the future of the West Bank and Gaza.”
Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, charged that the American government is “investing more and more” in a Gaza plan that he maintains will lead to worse violence. “It’s an ill-conceived mission, but it fits into a long legacy of ill-conceived Mideast missions,” he said.
The success of Rice's trip "is at the mercy" of terrorists over which she has no influence, Reuters reported. The report quoted an unnamed American official as saying that Rice's job is to make Arabs see "there really is a plan" that is good for them.
Abu Mazen will be asking Rice for American political support and money. Sharon will meet Rice Friday at his HaShikmim Ranch in southern Israel after she meets Thursday night with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Friday morning with Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz.
An Israeli official said Rice will try to get Israel and the PA to settle outstanding issues, including moving PA police security forces from Judea and Samaria to Gaza, construction of a deep seaport and reopening the Gaza airport.