Assistant Secretary of State William Burns's meeting with Abbas -- bypassing Palestinian President Yasser Arafat -- preceded a visit to the region this weekend by Secretary of State Colin Powell, to promote the US-backed peace "road map."

"I was able to convey the very strong commitment of President Bush to seize the moment of opportunity before us, to move aggressively and energetically toward the two-state vision which he has outlined using the road map as a starting point and a framework," Burns told reporters.

The road map, sponsored by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia, envisages an end to 31 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence and the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

But hours after the discussions, gunmen fired on a car carrying three Israelis near an Israeli West Bank settlement, killing one man and wounding another man and a young girl, a military source said.

Abbas's inauguration last week at the head of a cabinet formed to pursue democratic and security reforms in the Palestinian Authority opened the way for Washington to introduce the long-awaited peace proposal.

Both the United States and Israel reject Arafat as a peace partner, accusing him of fomenting violence in a Palestinian uprising for statehood -- a charge he denies.

ABBAS, SHARON MAY MEET NEXT WEEK

In a conciliatory speech on the eve of an annual day of remembrance for 21,541 soldiers killed in Israel's wars, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lockstepped with the American view that after the war in Iraq "the opportunity for peace must not be missed."

"I will not be deterred, if I see this is the moment of truth, to put an end to war and bloodshed and achieve peace for generations," the ex-general told soldiers on the day preceding Israel's 55th independence day.

He warned, however, that he would not "compromise Israeli security." Israel, which has raised 15 reservations over the road map, says a "battle against terrorism" by Abbas must come first.

Burns, who met Sharon on Sunday, said the Palestinians had to wage "a decisive fight against terror and violence," while Israel had to "ease the suffering of Palestinians...(and) stop the settlement activity."

Israeli diplomatic sources said Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz planned to meet Abbas next week.

Reflecting a new momentum for peace, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak sent independence day greetings to Israel via Moshe Katzav, Israel's ceremonial president, for "the first time in at least two years," his spokesman said.

An official from Abbas's Fatah movement told Reuters that Egyptian-sponsored talks in Cairo had been raised with other Palestinian factions to face "the political challenge" the road map posed to Palestinian unity.

But a spokesman of the Hamas Islamic movement, which rejects the road map, said no talks were anticipated.

Burns's efforts coincided with an Israeli newspaper report that Israel had rejected a peace overture from Syria before the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq in March. Syria wants the Golan Heights Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war.

The Maariv daily spoke of secret contacts between Israeli businessmen and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brother.

(China Daily May 6, 2003)