Rice Says Israel’s Gaza Pullout Is Crucial to Peace

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that an orderly Israeli disengagement from Gaza this summer that would give Palestinians greater hope for the future was vital to the success of a U.S.-backed plan for peace in the Middle East.

Rice said that the United States wanted to foster improved Israel-Palestinian cooperation, but that she had no plans to become directly involved in the contacts between them.

“I’m not [going] to try to negotiate the settlement of the issues between them,” Rice said.

Rice made her remarks during a flight starting a weeklong trip to the Middle East and Europe.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan for a unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four small West Bank settlements, scheduled for mid-August, is a highly emotional issue in Israel. It is viewed by observers of the process as a tactical step by Israel to strengthen its hand for negotiations on a final settlement with the Palestinians.

Rice said a successful passing of Gaza from Israeli to Palestinian control would “lead to greater confidence between the parties and, I believe, an ability to accelerate progress on the road map.”

The U.S.-backed road map is a three-step plan to end the conflict through the creation of a separate, independent Palestinian state next to Israel. Reduced levels of violence required for a successful Gaza pullout also constitute an essential ingredient of the first step of the road map.

Rice noted Palestinian Authority progress in reforming and streamlining its security services. However, “there is more that can be done,” she said.

Palestinians and Israelis blame each other for slow progress on the peace plan.

Israelis say that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hasn’t confronted militant Palestinian groups forcefully enough, whereas Palestinians say that the Israelis have blocked the purchase of law-enforcement equipment they need to do the job.

Rice pledged to “work with the Israel government to make sure the Palestinians have what they need in order to carry out the functions they have.”

After stops in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, Rice is scheduled to deliver a major policy speech in Cairo. She also will meet with opposition political figures and reformers in Egypt as part of the administration’s efforts to promote democratic reform in the Middle East.

Later in the week, she is expected to attend a conference of about 80 countries on Iraq that will be sponsored by the U.S. and European Union.

U.S. officials traveling with Rice said the goal of that meeting was to help countries determine how they can best assist Iraq’s fledgling government, and for Iraqi leaders to set out plans for their country’s future.