Mideast Talks Yield Promises To Press On

Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurie, left, and senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat attend an afternoon plenary session with Rice. (By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Addressing the Arabs directly, he said: "You cannot continue to stand by indefinitely and watch the peace train go by." Saud later appeared to rebuke that statement in his own speech. Saudi Arabia "was never on the sidelines where peace was concerned," he said. "Over the years, our leaders have proposed serious initiatives to end the conflict."

In his speech, Abbas also expressed his hope for peace and praised Olmert, saying that he "has shown a desire for peace that I felt during our bilateral meetings." Abbas notably did not mention the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is still regarded as a hero in the Palestinian areas but whom Bush dismissed as a terrorist.

Abbas and Olmert will return to the White House today to symbolically inaugurate the talks, Rice announced at the end of the conference.

But the two leaders sprinkled their speeches with references to diplomatic code words that point to the tough path ahead. Abbas, for instance, referred to a U.N. resolution that Palestinians believe gives them the right to return to their land in Israel, while Olmert mentioned a 2004 letter that Bush gave former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon that said that such refugee returns were unrealistic.

In his own speech, Bush sketched a much more ominous view of the region than Olmert and Abbas. "The battle is underway for the future of the Middle East, and we must not cede victory to the extremists," he said. "With their violent actions and contempt for human life, the extremists are seeking to impose a dark vision on the Palestinian people, a vision that feeds on hopelessness and despair to sow chaos in the Holy Land. If this vision prevails, the future of the region will be endless terror, endless war and endless suffering."

With the Syrian delegate in the room, Bush also took the opportunity to mention the tense battle over the next Lebanese president, warning against "outside interference and intimidation" by Syria and its allies.

Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, said Bush's speech seemed jarring next to the more uplifting visions of Olmert and Abbas. "It plays so badly in the region when he tries to make this an anti-terrorism conference," he said.

Staff writer Michael Abramowitz contributed to this report.