Rice, Abbas pledge to push peace talks

AMMAN, Jordan, March 31 (UPI) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas re-emphasized his commitment to the peace process with Israel Monday and asked that Israel do the same.

"(We) hope that the American referee or judge will make sure that Israel will meet its obligation," Abbas said during a joint news appearance with U.S. Secretary Condoleezza Rice at Amman, Jordan. He singled out stopping settlement activities in Jerusalem and the release of detainees to "fix a comprehensive reciprocal or mutual truce," a U.S. State Department statement said.

Rice said she had an opportunity to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace road map with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other negotiators.

"I know that your teams have a lot of hard work ahead of them," she said, "but I have to say that I find very impressive the work that is being done and the seriousness of the process, and I think it's all moving

in the right direction."

Abbas also expressed appreciation for efforts to remove what he called the siege on Gaza, especially by Egypt.