Flurry of last-minute meetings planned ahead of Annapolis

Nov 26, 2007, 3:27 GMT

A handout photograph supplied by the Israeli Government Press Office shows Israeli Prime Minister ehud Olmert and his wife, Aliza, as they arrive in Washington DC, USA, 25 November 2007 ahead of the US-sponsored Middle East peace conference to be held in Annapolis, Maryland. EPA/IGPO

US President George W Bush called this week's Middle East peace conference an opportunity for all sides to 'redouble their efforts' at achieving a lasting peace in the region as representatives were set to meet for one final round of preparations on their arrival in Washington Monday.

Bush was to meet separately at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Arab foreign ministers planned their own meeting to agree a final stance ahead of Tuesday's gathering in Annapolis, Maryland.

Arab nations - including Syria and Saudi Arabia who do not recognize Israel - agreed to participate over the weekend but have been pushing for a broader agenda than just the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Syria confirmed Sunday that it would send its deputy foreign minister amid indications that the discussions could include the Golan Heights, which it had been insisting on before agreeing to join the gathering.

Representatives of more than 40 countries will be attending the US-hosted conference aimed at relaunching talks between the Israelis and Palestinians on a two-state solution, the official start of which was to be a dinner late Monday hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington.

'I call upon all those gathering in Annapolis this week to redouble their efforts to turn dreams of peace into reality,' Bush said in a statement Sunday. 'I remain personally committed to implementing my vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.'

US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley told reporters that while the peace process was the 'focus' of the meeting, countries were free to bring up other concerns. Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said Friday that the region's goal was to realize a 'comprehensive settlement' of a number of Arab causes.

Israeli media quoted Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as telling reporters accompanying her on the flight to the conference that the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied from Syria in the 1967 war, could be raised, though it was not officially on the agenda. Israeli- Syrian talks floundered in March 2000 and have never officially resumed.

The Annapolis gathering has been met by fears of an outbreak of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israeli police went on high alert for several hours in Jerusalem Sunday following warnings that two possible suicide bombers were heading for the city.

The alert was to be raised again throughout Israel to its second- highest level Monday, after Palestinian militant groups, notably Hamas, warned of a wave of violence in response to the conference, to which they were not invited.

Militant groups have slammed the Annapolis parley, with Hamas describing it as 'an historic chance for failure.'

Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said that both sides were ready to address the 'core issues' at the Annapolis meeting and welcomed Syria's participation in an interview with US broadcaster CNN. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told CNN it was time for 'historic decisions' to break the stalemate and reach a final peaceful solution.

But White House spokeswoman Dana Perino cautioned against expecting any 'immediate results' from the conference. Hadley also stressed that the conference was not itself a 'negotiating forum,' but an 'opportunity to move into a negotiating phase between Palestinians and Israelis.'

Diplomatic sources in Washington said Bush had been exerting enormous pressure on the participants, who include the bulk of Arab foreign ministers following an Arab League meeting in Cairo Friday.

Abbas said Friday that he had met Israel's Olmert eight times and exchanged views with him over all issues to be discussed in Annapolis.

The negotiations in Annapolis, Abbas noted, would be based on the 'road map' peace plan, the 2002 Arab peace initiative and previous agreements and international accords.

Mussa earlier had warned that Arab participation would not mean a 'free normalization with Israel,' which is already a part of the Arab peace initiative.

Bush said Sunday that the conference would offer a strong show of international support for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restart peace talks and renew their commitment to the US-backed road map towards an independent Palestinian state.

The Annapolis meeting will be the biggest Middle East peace conference since former US president Bill Clinton brokered the Camp David talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 2000.