The two most notable visitors to the Middle East spent some time together on Sunday and compared notes on each one’s meetings with regional leaders. In a rare confluence of visits, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Israel and the Palestinian territories at the same time as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The two got together on Sunday, reportedly to exchange experiences. Unlike Rice, Ban will continue on to Riyadh to participate in the Arab League summit that begins on Wednesday. He also plans to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad while in Saudi Arabia and discuss the Israel-Syrian track. Ban was critical of Israel, claiming that measures such as the security barrier and checkpoints disrupt life in the Palestinian territories. He met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas, but refused to meet with Hamas members of the government, saying "the time is not ripe" to do so.