The Palestinian leadership, he said, had held "an intensive dialogue with all factions telling them that this is the end of the game and that everyone should abide by the rules and the obligations that we have made."
Addressing Israeli criticism that the US was pressuring Israel to build support among Arab nations, Abed Rabbo said, "What's wrong with getting support from the Arab world?"
Israel, long seen as the staunchest ally of the US in the Middle East, and the recipient of US$3 billion in annual US military and economic aid, is also a crucial counter-terrorism partner. Its national security has been a fundamental part of US foreign policy since Israel's creation.
So the American effort to strike a balance is delicate at best. In the days before the killing of Zeevi, the US hoped for a return to political talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, said the State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher. The killing, the Israeli reaction and its rebuff to the US on Tuesday appeared to have damaged those hopes.
The American demand for an Israeli withdrawal was viewed by many Israelis as an attempt to score points in the Arab world at Israel's expense.
"The way was wrong, the timing was wrong, and you don't treat an ally like this," said one Israeli government official.
Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister and a critic of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said: "Imagine now that Sharon says, `Well, all right, I withdraw.' Then what will be the image of Israel in the Arab world?"
Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador now visiting the US as Sharon's personal envoy, said the American demand "will again encourage the Palestinian side to draw the wrong conclusion, that the pressure is now on Israel and not on them."
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