Rice begins visit to Israel, West Bank

TEL AVIV, Aug 1 (Reuters) US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a 24-hour visit to Israel and the West Bank today carrying a Saudi pledge of support for a Middle East peace conference proposed by Washington.

In talks in the region, Rice will try to inject new momentum into peacemaking between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's West Bank government following the violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas Islamists in June.

She flew to Tel Aviv from Saudi Arabia, where Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Riyadh welcomed US President George W Bush's initiative to hold a Middle East peace conference later this year. No date or venue has been set.

''There is an international movement (for peace) ... Israel should respond to these pressures,'' Faisal said.

With Washington keen to show progress in the Middle East, Rice may press Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to respond to the Saudi support for the meeting by taking further steps that can revive talks on Palestinian statehood.

Olmert's office said he hoped many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, would attend the gathering. ''This meeting can grant an umbrella for the bilateral talks between Israel and the Palestinians,'' a statement issued by his office said.

CORE ISSUES Diplomats and Israeli officials said the United States wants Israel to expand the scope of talks with Abbas, hoping to push forward on core issues like borders for a Palestinian state.

They said it was unclear how far Olmert, who meets Rice later in the day, was prepared to go to help bolster Abbas, a leader Israeli officials have long described as weak and incapable of delivering security and peace.

Rice will hold talks with Abbas, head of the secular Fatah faction, tomorrow in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

A nearly 86 million dollars US security plan finalised ahead of her visit will provide funds to boost not only Abbas's Presidential Guard but also his National Security Forces, viewed by many Palestinians as the equivalent of an army.

Olmert and Abbas are expected to meet next week, most likely in the West Bank city of Jericho.

Israeli officials said ahead of Rice's visit that Olmert was prepared to discuss borders and other core issues in ''general terms'' that could lead to an ''agreement of principles'' for establishing a Palestinian state.

But Olmert has not agreed to full-fledged negotiations over the three main final status issues - borders, the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees - as proposed by Abbas.

Israeli officials said any commitment now could raise expectations and lead to further violence if talks broke down.

Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said final-status issues should be negotiated as a package.

Reuters RN VV1732