(State Department) In an interview with the New York Times Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: "The question is really...can the Palestinians now demonstrate that they are able to exercise control in Gaza and...govern it in a way that gives confidence to the Israelis and others?" "People worry a lot about Hamas. Of course it's an issue, but the best thing the Palestinian Authority can do to disable Hamas is to show that it is not corrupt, it is governing, it is delivering for its people. And we're trying to help them do that." "On the Israeli side, the key now is to use what I would call forces of momentum, like the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings that are between the Palestinians and the Israelis, to keep things moving, getting back onto the roadmap where both sides have obligations....If you can sustain that kind of momentum, then I think you will be in a situation where the Gaza withdrawal, which I think has gone very, very well, will end up having been a spur to greater cooperation and trust between Palestinians and Israelis."
2005-09-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive