JERUSALEM, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to chaperon a next meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
A senior Israeli official said the meeting is expected "within a month" but no venue has been decided yet.
Rice arrived in Israel Saturday night, met Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and left for Jordan and then Egypt on Monday.
Olmert's media adviser, Miri Eisin, said the sides have been focusing on confidence building measures.
Abbas seemed to confirm that. At a press conference with Rice in the West Bank town of Ramallah Sunday, he talked of the need "to provide the appropriate circumstances and conditions to revive the peace process."
Olmert said he and Rice have agreed that any Palestinian government that seeks the international community's backing would have to accept "the sequence included in the (internationally-devised) roadmap (for peace), recognize the right of the Jewish State of Israel to exist within secure borders and halt terrorism."
These points are significant now as the two main Palestinians parties, Fatah and Hamas, are trying to form a national unity government. Hamas rejected those demands and some of the ideas that floated about were designed to obtain international backing without Hamas accepting international demands.
Hence Olmert said: "If there will be a Palestinian government that accepts these principles, we will accept it. A Palestinian government that does not recognize these principles will be accepted by neither the international community nor us."
Olmert and Abbas recently met in Jerusalem. Olmert promised several moves and Abbas said Sunday, "We are waiting for the application of our agreements."
Eisin noted Israel removed or eased movement through some 40 roadblocks and transferred some $9.5 million of withheld Palestinian money to a hospital in East Jerusalem. The sides are at odds on how $14 million more should be transferred.
