Region | Palestinian Territories
Rice makes last attempt at peace
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in the region this weekend with hopes of achieving a minimal breakthrough to leave a stamp of George Bush' administration on the peace process, but analysts in the region are receiving her trip with no expectations.
- By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor
- Published: 23:22 November 6, 2008
Dubai: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in the region this weekend with hopes of achieving a minimal breakthrough to leave a stamp of George Bush' administration on the peace process, but analysts in the region are receiving her trip with no expectations.
Mustafa Al Barghouti, Palestinian MP and Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, said he expects Rice to "announce her failure or the failure of Annapolis (conference)," in reference to the peace meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland, last November when concerned parties in the peace talks set a year-end goal of reaching a deal.
Meeting that target, at present, seems unlikely, especially with the defeat of the Republicans in the US elections, Israeli hands tied up with preparations for next February's elections, and the unclear political future of the Palestinian leadership when Mahmoud Abbas's term expires in January.
Rice's trip, the eighth trip to Israel and Palestinian territories since the Annapolis conference, was scheduled long before the US presidential elections. She is expected to participate in a quartet meeting - featuring the US, EU, Russia and UN - where both Palestinians and Israeli officials are also expected to participate in the meeting in Sharm Al Shaikh, Egypt.
'No stone unturned'
"We're going to try to put this process in the best possible place going forward so that whomever comes next can formulate their policies, take a look at the process, and possibly use it, take it further," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Rice, herself, sounded determined to push for an Israeli-Palestinian deal as long as she stays in office.
"Until that moment when I leave office, I will leave no stone unturned to see if we can finally resolve this conflict," she said at a Palestinian investment forum last month in Washington.
However, the decisive victory of the Democrats in Tuesday's US presidential elections will make parties concerned in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict "not implementing what she is going to ask for," Mustafa Al Ani, senior consultant at the Gulf Centre for Strategic Studies, said. "I don't see any reason to listen to a departing administration."
While Al Ani believes the Bush administration has "never tried seriously to solve the Palestinian question", Barghouti told Gulf News that the "Bush Administration played for some years with the Palestinian problem to cover its failure in Iraq".
Al Ani also warned against high expectations that the new Obama administration will solve the problems in the Middle East.
Threats of rockets
A spokesman says Hamas will fire rockets deep into Israel if Israel's army launches more strikes against Gaza.
Spokesman Abu Obeida made the threat yesterday. He spoke after fighting between the two shook a five-month-old truce. Hamas is understood to still be interested in restoring calm.
The violence erupted on Tuesday after Israeli forces spotted a fighters' tunnel and briefly entered Gaza. Seven Hamas fighters were killed, and the fighters fired rockets toward Israel.
Most hit near the border, but several rockets were fired at the coastal city of Ashkelon,16 kilometres from Gaza.
Hamas raised the stakes by targeting Ashkelon. Abu Obeida says Hamas will strike the city again if there are more Israeli military operations.
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