Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began a meeting with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem on Tuesday night. Rice is in Israel to persuade Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue negotiations despite rocket attacks from Gaza and IDF counterterrorism operations.
Earlier in the day Rice met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who froze negotiations earlier in the week in response to IDF activities in Gaza. Following the meeting Rice expressed optimism that Israel and the PA could reach a final peace deal within 10 months, although she did not say that Abbas had agreed to resume talks.