Israeli land grabs erode confidence, says Rice

TEL AVIV (AFP) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday she will tell Israel that its expropriation of Arab lands erodes confidence in its commitment to a two-state solution.

"The point that I will be making is that we have to be very careful as we are trying to move toward the establishment of a Palestinian state about actions and statements that erode confidence in the parties' commitment to a two-state solution," Rice told reporters travelling with her to the Middle East.

She was responding to a question about Israeli confiscation of Arab land between occupied east Jerusalem and the key West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim last week.

Rice arrived in Tel Aviv for a new round of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of a US Middle East peace conference later this year and will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert later in the afternoon.

It is Rice's seventh visit to the region this year.

URL: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hN_iKmBClneQ-G426dLPBqnMmy-A