In a letter sent yesterday to William Burns, Assistant US Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas warned that Israel’s refusal to accept the Road Map will undermine Palestinian efforts to achieve peace with Israel.

Abbas emphasized that without Israel’s express acceptance of the Road Map and fulfillment of its Phase I obligation to publicly declare its commitment to a two-state solution, Palestinian public support for the Road Map will erode, thereby undermining Palestinian accomplishments in Road Map implementation.

Israel’s acceptance of the Road Map will enable the new Palestinian government “to better perform our obligations with greater support from our public and will create the political horizon needed to sustain our efforts at ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” wrote Abbas.

Abbas indicated that he hoped US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visit next week would lead to “Israel’s acceptance of the Road Map and the start of its formal implementation.”