Israel arrests activists near Rice's hotel room

JERUSALEM - Israeli police arrested three activists today who managed to reach the floor of a Jerusalem hotel where US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was staying, a police spokesman said.

Micky Rosenfeld said the three were supporters of former US navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, who was convicted of spying for Israel.

"They shouted 'free Pollard' before being apprehended by body guards," Rosenfeld said. "Police arrested them and they took them away for questioning."

It was not clear how they managed to reach that floor.

Rice was not believed to have been in her room at the time.

Pollard was arrested in 1985 outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington and sentenced for providing tens of thousands of pages of classified information to Israel.

His supporters say it was information Israel should have received from the United States. Pollard was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.

Rice had hosted talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem today.

- REUTERS