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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Cautious hope for Mid-East talks | Cautious hope for Mid-East talks |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The US, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have voiced hope that a conference in Maryland could produce a starting point for serious peace negotiations. | The US, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have voiced hope that a conference in Maryland could produce a starting point for serious peace negotiations. |
| Speaking at a dinner for participants, US President George W Bush expressed his "personal commitment" towards resolving the conflict. | |
| But he warned "difficult compromises" lay ahead for both sides. | But he warned "difficult compromises" lay ahead for both sides. |
| Correspondents say expectations for Tuesday's meeting in the city of Annapolis are modest. | Correspondents say expectations for Tuesday's meeting in the city of Annapolis are modest. |
| More than 40 organisations and countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, are attending the conference at a US naval academy. | More than 40 organisations and countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, are attending the conference at a US naval academy. |
| The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has been meeting Israeli and Palestinian teams in an effort to clinch a joint statement that sets out an outline for how negotiations will proceed post-Annapolis. | The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has been meeting Israeli and Palestinian teams in an effort to clinch a joint statement that sets out an outline for how negotiations will proceed post-Annapolis. |
| 'This time it's different' | 'This time it's different' |
| Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas had separate meetings with Mr Bush in the White House on Monday. | |
| Mr Olmert told reporters the "international support" provided by participants was a crucial factor in his optimism. | Mr Olmert told reporters the "international support" provided by participants was a crucial factor in his optimism. |
| "This time it's different because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians," Mr Olmert said. | "This time it's different because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians," Mr Olmert said. |
| OBSTACLES TO PEACE Jerusalem Water Refugees Borders and settlements History of failed talks | OBSTACLES TO PEACE Jerusalem Water Refugees Borders and settlements History of failed talks |
| But Mr Olmert also cautioned that no peace deal could be agreed without the halting of rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza - controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas, which has stayed away from the conference. | But Mr Olmert also cautioned that no peace deal could be agreed without the halting of rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza - controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas, which has stayed away from the conference. |
| For his part, Mr Abbas praised the initiative but said talks would have to address the thorny obstacles to Palestinian statehood - the "permanent-status issues" - that have felled previous attempts at peace negotiations. | For his part, Mr Abbas praised the initiative but said talks would have to address the thorny obstacles to Palestinian statehood - the "permanent-status issues" - that have felled previous attempts at peace negotiations. |
| Israeli settlers voiced their opposition to the talks | Israeli settlers voiced their opposition to the talks |
| "We have a great deal of hope that this conference will produce... expanded negotiations over all permanent-status issues that would lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people," he said after meeting Mr Bush. | "We have a great deal of hope that this conference will produce... expanded negotiations over all permanent-status issues that would lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people," he said after meeting Mr Bush. |
| "This is a great initiative and we need his [Mr Bush's] continuing effort to achieve this objective." | "This is a great initiative and we need his [Mr Bush's] continuing effort to achieve this objective." |
| Mr Bush also earlier said he was also "optimistic" for the prospects for a serious dialogue. | Mr Bush also earlier said he was also "optimistic" for the prospects for a serious dialogue. |
| Later, at the formal dinner for all the participants in Washington, he said both sides shared a "common goal: two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security". | Later, at the formal dinner for all the participants in Washington, he said both sides shared a "common goal: two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security". |
| Scepticism | Scepticism |
| Nevertheless, given the history of failed attempts at peace negotiations correspondents are not ambitious about what can be achieved at this meeting. | Nevertheless, given the history of failed attempts at peace negotiations correspondents are not ambitious about what can be achieved at this meeting. |
| There is no readiness at the moment to agree a deal, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington. | There is no readiness at the moment to agree a deal, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington. |
| Q&A: Annapolis Possibilities of Annapolis | Q&A: Annapolis Possibilities of Annapolis |
| The talks simply seek to assure both sides that the United States and the big Arab powers will do what is necessary to support a dialogue, and to get a firm commitment to the launch of that dialogue, he says. | The talks simply seek to assure both sides that the United States and the big Arab powers will do what is necessary to support a dialogue, and to get a firm commitment to the launch of that dialogue, he says. |
| High-level officials in Washington have expressed scepticism about the talks. | High-level officials in Washington have expressed scepticism about the talks. |
| In Jerusalem, at least 10,000 Israeli settlers protested against the talks, some bearing placards reading "Don't feed Israel to the sharks". | In Jerusalem, at least 10,000 Israeli settlers protested against the talks, some bearing placards reading "Don't feed Israel to the sharks". |
| And Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has repeated its assertion that any decision taken at Annapolis would not be binding on the Palestinian people. | And Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has repeated its assertion that any decision taken at Annapolis would not be binding on the Palestinian people. |
| "[They] have not authorised anyone, either Arab or Palestinian, to erase their rights," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP news agency. | "[They] have not authorised anyone, either Arab or Palestinian, to erase their rights," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP news agency. |
| Hamas won a landslide victory in the January 2006 legislative election but is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Israel. | Hamas won a landslide victory in the January 2006 legislative election but is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Israel. |
| The government has been subject to economic and diplomatic sanctions by Israel and its allies in the West. | The government has been subject to economic and diplomatic sanctions by Israel and its allies in the West. |