Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 09/2008

PolicyWatch #1289: Rice's Obstacles on the Road to an Israeli-Palestinian Breakthrough

David Makovsky

September 2007

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Abstract

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently visited Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to get personal briefings from each leader regarding their sensitive discussions on peace. Such briefings are designed so that Rice can identify the existing gaps between the parties and fashion U.S. strategy in advance of a planned November meeting in Washington. These gaps will likely determine the scope of her potential shuttle diplomacy during her next visit to the region in the coming weeks. They will also become increasingly clear as Israeli and Palestinian delegations meet and begin drafting a potential declaration of principles (DOP) within ten days time, as a senior Israeli official has reported.