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Rice, Abbas Discuss Ways to Accelerate Mideast Peace Efforts
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=713621&l=1009&ctl=1517FE8:A6F02AD83191E1604BCB7877D832CF529574F7DCC14957C0 Secretary of state
says trip meant to encourage peace talks between Israelis and
Palestinians, extension of ceasefire U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice met Thursday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
in the West Bank city of Jericho. VOA's Jim Teeple reports Secretary
Rice also meets Thursday with Israeli leaders in a bid to revive
Mideast peace efforts.







Condoleezza Rice, center, waves as she arrives with Palestinian Chief
Negotiator Saeb Erekat before meeting with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas,  30 Nov. 2006

Secretary Rice says her trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories
was to encourage peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, and
that a ceasefire agreed to on Sunday by both sides should be extended.

At a joint news conference with President Abbas in Jericho, she called
on Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.

"The daily difficulties and humiliations that are associated with life
for the Palestinian people simply must be eased," she said.

In a surprise development, Mr. Abbas said he believed efforts to
achieve a unity Palestinian government, not led by Hamas, had reached
a dead end.

Mr. Abbas says other options must now be looked at to end the donor
aid boycott of the Palestinians, because of the Hamas refusal to
recognize Israel.








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