WHAT'S THE HURRY? Condoleezza Rice seems to be a lady in a hurry:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be keen on keeping alive the fledgling sense of momentum in the diplomatic process during a 24-hour visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority beginning on Wednesday afternoon, government officials said in advance of her arrival.

...The sense of momentum that Rice wants to build on stems from events since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June, and the steps that have been taken to create a PA in the West Bank that Israel can view as a partner.

If Rice is keen on getting things going, then Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit is even more keen on getting things to go even faster--much faster:

The Egyptian foreign minister indicated he would like to see an elaborate agenda for the U.S.-hosted meeting, giving high priority to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the near future.

"I believe that what is needed is accelerated moves in order to reach the horizon of that [Palestinian] state, and an agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority," Aboul Gheit said.

"This settlement ... will be presented to the Palestinian people. If we wait, I believe this will have a negative impact on the general situation in dealing with the Palestinian issue," he added.

Somehow, you get the sense that the speed with which these two want things done is in reverse proportion to their desire to think through what is actually happening--and what the long-range consequences are.

Kind of like when Haman is rushed off to the party with Esther and Achashveirosh.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Condoleezza Rice.