"Rice Dives Into Heart of Middle East Peacemaking
Sat Feb 5, 2005 08:36 PM ET
By Saul Hudson and Megan Goldin
ANKARA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hopes to drive the Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace in Jerusalem on Sunday on her first visit as secretary of state to the heart of their conflict.
Criticized for too little involvement in Middle East peace efforts in his first term, President Bush sent his top diplomat to the region to back up his pledge to press harder for an end to the conflict in his next four years.
The visit comes with renewed hopes around the world for a resolution because the sides' leaders have agreed to meet for the first time in years as they capitalize on goodwill created in the aftermath of President Yasser Arafat's death.
On the eve of her visit, Rice said the United States was ready to help the sides sustain their momentum but the best way to achieve peace was to encourage the Israelis and Palestinians to go on making progress on their own."
More:Top News Article | Reuters.com
