RAMALLAH, March 25: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israelis and Palestinians to work together on a common peace agenda on Sunday after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Rice said she was optimistic that progress was possible, but set low expectations for her fourth visit to the region in as many months, part of a reinvigorated US interest in Mideast peacemaking.

Before Rice’s arrival, Israel and the Palestinians traded heated accusations. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accused Abbas of violating commitments to the Jewish state, while one of Abbas's senior aides charged that Israel was trying to avoid serious peace talks.

Israel's contacts with Abbas have been limited to humanitarian and other routine administrative matters as part of Israel's boycott of a Palestinian government that refuses international conditions, including that it renounce violence and recognise Israel.

But Rice said she hoped the two sides could put aside their differences and return to the negotiating table, before leaving Ramallah to Jerusalem for a meeting with UN chief Ban Ki-moon, on his first regional tour, followed by dinner with Olmert.

“I think that it is extremely important that there be a political horizon for the Palestinian people,” she said. “And I sincerely hope that in the future the parties themselves can talk about that political horizon among themselves.” Rice has been hoping to revive a long-dormant plan for a broad Arab-Israeli peace floated five years ago and on Saturday met foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs of the so-called “Arab quartet,” which includes Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Rice said she hoped increased involvement from Washington's Arab allies could help rekindle stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.—AFP