US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Israel late Sunday night to revive the stalled Mideast peace process.

Powell said that he would encourage both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take steps that will facilitate the Jan. 9 Palestinian election for a successor to Yasser Arafat.

"This is a moment of opportunity ... The big step ahead of usnow is to assist the Palestinian people getting ready for theelection," he told reporters aboard his plane.

It was Powell's first trip to the region in 18 months and signaled a revival of US peacemaking in the region.

"In my conversations with both sides, I'll be encouraging them to do everything they can to make sure this election comes off and that the maximum number of Palestinians get the opportunity toparticipate," he said.

"Perhaps the things that we do or that they do will encourage adegree of cooperation that can spread into other areas," saidPowell, who announced his resignation last week.

Meanwhile, US Mideast envoy William Burns met Sunday with Israel's national security adviser Giora Eiland and later traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah to hold talks with the interimPalestinian leadership.

Following his conversation with caretaker Palestinian National Authority Chairman Rouhi Fattouh, Burns said that the purpose of his visit was to examine the possibility of general cooperation with the Palestinians.

"In particular, I am here to stress strong American support for the Palestinian elections, for the president of the Palestinian Authority," Burns said.

"We are determined to do everything we can to help in that process and we also support steps by Israel which are needed to facilitate these elections," he added.

Burns said that successful elections and a successful Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank were important steps toward fulfilling the roadmap, ending the Israeli occupation and completing the solution of "two states for two peoples."

Palestinian sources said they expect the Americans to guarantee that Israel will allow east Jerusalem to take part in the vote,withdraw from all the main West Bank towns and ease military activities during the elections.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said Saturday that hewill ask the Bush administration to commit itself to the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005 during Powell'supcoming visit.

"We will ask the Americans for a clear commitment to the original timetable for the roadmap and about the link betweend is engagement and the roadmap, so the state can be established next year," Qurei said.

The roadmap peace plan envisioning a Palestinian statehood by 2005 has been derailed due to mounting conflict between the Palestinians and Israel.

Powell will be formally replaced by national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, once her nomination is approved by the Senate.

Source: Xinhua