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| Rice prepares for Mid-East summit | Rice prepares for Mid-East summit |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to hold talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to try to revive the stalled Middle East peace process. | |
| Ms Rice will meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to prepare for a summit. | |
| After arriving in Israel, Ms Rice said it was an important time to advance the vision of a Palestinian state. | |
| But doubts have been raised about whether the US will engage with a new Palestinian unity government. | |
| Speaking after talks with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Ms Rice said now was "an important time to talk about how we advance the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and in freedom". | |
| If one waited for the perfect time to come to the Middle East then one would never get on the airplane Condoleezza RiceUS secretary of state But she and Ms Livni both stressed that any new Palestinian coalition government must recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements. | If one waited for the perfect time to come to the Middle East then one would never get on the airplane Condoleezza RiceUS secretary of state But she and Ms Livni both stressed that any new Palestinian coalition government must recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements. |
| Many observers wonder whether the two embattled leaders, Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas, are strong enough to take the difficult steps towards peace, says the BBC's Bethany Bell in Jerusalem. | |
| Moderation urged | Moderation urged |
| Ms Rice arrived in Israel after a brief visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where she reviewed a new security plan intended to reduce violence in the city. | Ms Rice arrived in Israel after a brief visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where she reviewed a new security plan intended to reduce violence in the city. |
| Abbas (right) charged Haniya with forming a unity government"I think that the moderates in the Palestinian side need to understand that a path towards a Palestinian state needs to go though renunciation of violence and terrorism and not by compromising with terror," said Ms Livni, after meeting the secretary of state. | |
| Ms Rice said that the US would "await the formation of a [Palestinian] government before making any decisions about it". | Ms Rice said that the US would "await the formation of a [Palestinian] government before making any decisions about it". |
| "If one waited for the perfect time to come to the Middle East then one would never get on the airplane," she added. | "If one waited for the perfect time to come to the Middle East then one would never get on the airplane," she added. |
| On Thursday the Palestinian leader and Fatah chief asked former Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas to form a national unity government. | On Thursday the Palestinian leader and Fatah chief asked former Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas to form a national unity government. |
| Factional fighting between Fatah and Hamas claimed more than 90 Palestinian lives between December and this month. | Factional fighting between Fatah and Hamas claimed more than 90 Palestinian lives between December and this month. |
| Conditions | Conditions |
| Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel has led to a crippling ban on Western financial aid since the party won elections in January last year. | Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel has led to a crippling ban on Western financial aid since the party won elections in January last year. |
| Mr Haniya now has five weeks to get a new cabinet accepted by the Hamas-dominated parliament. | Mr Haniya now has five weeks to get a new cabinet accepted by the Hamas-dominated parliament. |
| But if Hamas maintains its position regarding Israel, there is concern that any talks brokered by Washington will be futile. | But if Hamas maintains its position regarding Israel, there is concern that any talks brokered by Washington will be futile. |
| President Abbas has called for the new administration to be given a chance. | President Abbas has called for the new administration to be given a chance. |
| "We will say to the Americans and to the Israelis that they must give a chance to this government," said his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, after Mr Abbas met US Assistant Secretary David Welch, as part of preparations for Monday's summit. | "We will say to the Americans and to the Israelis that they must give a chance to this government," said his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, after Mr Abbas met US Assistant Secretary David Welch, as part of preparations for Monday's summit. |
| As part of the power-sharing deal it was reported that Hamas had agreed to respect past Palestinian agreements that recognise Israel. | As part of the power-sharing deal it was reported that Hamas had agreed to respect past Palestinian agreements that recognise Israel. |
| However, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says the Americans are expected to demand an explicit statement of recognition and a renunciation of violence. | However, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says the Americans are expected to demand an explicit statement of recognition and a renunciation of violence. |