Israel Threatens to Ignore Abbas

In this photo released by the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, sits with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, at a meeting at a hotel in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 19, 2007. Bringing Israel's prime minister and the Palestinian president together, Rice was hoping to discuss major issues in general terms, hampered by an incoming Palestinian government that would not explicitly recognize Israel. (AP Photo/United States Embassy-Matty Stern,HO) (Matty Stern - AP)

Rice and Abbas both met with Abdullah but their sessions were separate. Both were reporting on progress from their three-way summit Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. For Abbas, that meant explaining that he had failed to persuade Israel and Rice that the incoming Palestinian government would fulfill conditions for the restoration of foreign aid.

Abdullah and other Sunni Arab allies have strongly urged the Bush administration to energize peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, partly to improve the Palestinians' lot, partly to tamp down Islamic extremism that those government see as a threat and partly to counter the influence of Shiite Iran.

After the meetings, Abdullah issued a statement saying, "The longer the time passes without a framework that would help Palestinians and Israelis move forward, the greater the risk of an escalation of tensions."

Abbas also was headed to Germany along with stops in Britain and France in a campaign to convince skeptical Western leaders that the deal he forged earlier this month with the ruling Islamic Hamas reflects his moderate stand.

At stake is about $1 billion in foreign aid for the Palestinian government cut off after Hamas defeated Abbas' secular Fatah party and took power last year. Abbas was elected separately and retains power, but the two-headed government structure was unwieldy and unable to deliver services or security.

Israel, the U.S. and the European Union label Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction and has killed hundreds of people in suicide attacks, a terror group.

The U.S. and European Union insist that any Palestinian government must recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace accords. Hamas has rejected those conditions. The unity accord pledges only to "respect" past agreements.

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Associated Press writers Jamal Halaby and Dale Gavlak in Amman and Sally Buzbee in Cairo contributed to this report.