Feb 8, 2005 By Tom Raum Associated Press Writer 4 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is making a push for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. It’s a goal that has frustrated American presidents for decades, yet administration officials believe conditions may be ripe for a breakthrough with recent changes in the region and a new emphasis in Washington on spreading democracy. Bush has four years left to build his legacy and no doubt hopes to see the Mideast peace that eluded predecessor Bill Clinton.

The administration plunged back into the peacemaking business on Monday, on the eve of a summit in Egypt between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The leaders will declare a cease-fire to end 41/2 years of fighting, said the two sides.

In Jerusalem, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that Sharon and Abbas had accepted invitations to visit the White House this spring. Rice also named a U.S. security coordinator to help train and equip Palestinian forces and to monitor the cease-fire. And she promised more than $40 million in aid to the Palestinians during the next three months.

Abbas’ landslide election last month as Palestinian Authority president, the Nov. 11 death of Yasser Arafat, Sharon’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and war weariness on both sides have led to an improved climate for peacemaking.

The Jan. 30 elections in Iraq also helped to reduce tensions across the region, U.S. officials suggest.

Rice cited “a time of optimism” as she met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Longtime observers of the region were generally optimistic over the latest developments, but cautioned that the divide between Israel and the Palestinians remained wide.

Rice’s decision to visit Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah on her first trip as secretary of state, her call for steps to be taken by both Israelis and Palestinians, and the air of determination she projected is seen “as a good omen in the region,” said Judith Kipper, a Mideast analyst at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

“But that’s still not progress. Progress has to be counted on the ground. And it’s still very fragile, because both Sharon and (Abbas) have very serious internal problems,” Kipper said.

Although Bush asserted in his State of the Union address that peace in the Middle East was “within reach,” the scope of the U.S. role remains unclear.

Rice promised to visit the region often – predecessor Colin Powell seldom went – but she won’t attend today’s summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheik resort, where Sharon and Abbas will be joined by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan. She suggested it was better for the sides to negotiate directly, with input from the neighboring Arab nations.

Also, her naming of Lt. Gen. William Ward as security coordinator fell short of assigning a full-fledged envoy to shepherd peace talks.

Still, Bush’s invitation to Sharon and Abbas to come to the White House for separate meetings signaled a willingness to get more personally involved.

“What you’re watching is a process unfolding where people are becoming more trustworthy,” Bush told reporters at the White House on Monday, praising Abbas’ commitment to fighting terror and Israel’s help in allowing Palestinians to vote.

Bush’s only previous effort to intervene proved disappointing: the “Red Sea Summit” of June 2003, when he presided over talks in Jordan between Sharon and Abbas. At that time Abbas had the title of Palestinian prime minister but held little power.

Sharon pledged to dismantle illegal outposts, Abbas renounced terrorism against Israel and both leaders embraced the U.S.-supported “roadmap” of steps to a two-state Israeli-Palestine settlement. The process broke down when it became clear Abbas did not have Arafat’s support.

Bush’s increased involvement now, along with other recent developments, is “very encouraging,” said Sandy Berger, who was President Clinton’s national security adviser. But he said it will take “a very active American hand” to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

“It’s important that we have some role here as facilitators, bringing the security people from the Israeli and Palestinian sides together so that when there are violations, there’s transparency between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Berger said. “My sense is that the administration is willing to play that role.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE – Tom Raum has covered national and international affairs for The Associated Press since 1973.