Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., January 03, 2008 Tevet 25, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:58 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Magazine

From left: Ehud Olmert, George W. Bush and Mahmoud Abbas in Washington after the Annapolis conference in November. (Reuters) Last update - 09:38 02/01/2008 Olmert, Bush and Abbas to hold three-way summit in Jerusalem By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Ehud Olmert  The leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the United States are expected to hold a joint meeting during President George W. Bush's visit here next week, in an effort to accelerate negotiations on the conflict's core issues - borders, refugees, and Jerusalem. Bush will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority next Wednesday and Thursday as part of a regional tour that will cover seven states in nine days. The main focus of the president's talks will be the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the Iranian nuclear program. Advertisement Preparatory talks between the White House and Jerusalem in recent days led to an agreement that a meeting will be organized between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Bush. The purpose of the tripartite meeting is to energize the negotiations between Israel and the PA. Talks on the conflict's core issues were supposed to begin after the Annapolis summit, but reached an impasse over disagreements on the issue of continued Israeli construction in settlements and East Jerusalem. "The purpose of the meeting is to further the negotiations," a senior political source in Jerusalem told Haaretz Tuesday. "The leaders will be able to evaluate how the situation is progressing to date, and decide where we are going from here," the source added. If the meeting does take place, it will be held in a neutral site - not in the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. One of the possibilities is the American Consulate in East Jerusalem, the source said. Olmert is expected to hold a meeting on Wednesday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to discuss Israel's stance for the upcoming Bush visit. Olmert plans to brief the U.S. president on the instructions he has issued to his cabinet on freezing West Bank construction. Bush administration spokesmen have expressed their concern in recent weeks at continued Israeli construction in the West Bank, and Olmert intends to stress that his government is taking action in order to meet its obligations to the road map. On the other hand, Olmert will also insist that the PA must take more forceful action in combating terrorist organizations. Olmert and Bush are also expected to spend much time discussing the Iranian nuclear program. During their last meeting in Washington, following the Annapolis summit, Bush briefed Olmert on the content of the National Intelligence Estimate on the Iranian nuclear project, which concluded that Tehran had frozen its nuclear arms program in 2003. Bush has since insisted that the NIE will not alter his policy on Iran, but in Israel there is concern that during the final year of his presidency he will find it difficult to conduct a military operation against Iran. In addition to the political meetings, Bush is also scheduled to meet President Shimon Peres to discuss joint economic and development projects between Israel, the PA, Jordan and other countries. Related articles: Olmert vows to 'forge historic path' toward peace with Palestinians Just another forgotten peace summit On America's strength and weakness Bookmark to del.icio.us   Holocaust education For Dutch instructors, Islamophobia can be a teaching aid for Holocaust studies. White House race Edwards is the angry candidate; Obama prefers conciliation.   1.   I pray God`s Blessings upon all three. May they get to the heart 06:05  |  of the matter. 02/01/08   2.   BUSH NEEDS TO BRING JONOTAN POLLARD WITH HIM 06:42  |  Like it is 02/01/08   3.   A meeting of the 3 stooges. 07:33  |  Avraham 02/01/08   4.   peace will prevail only when israel is destroyd 08:10  |  saddam the second 02/01/08   5.   Will this meeting conclude with a mutural recognition of the 08:24  |  Avihu 02/01/08   6.   Olmert, Bush and Abbasto hold 3 way summit in J`lem 08:24  |  Martin List, M.D. 02/01/08   7.   They Dress Evil So As Not To Shock People , 08:34  |  Joseph E . 02/01/08   8.   the 3 witches of endor toil and make trtouble 08:35  |  victor hardman 02/01/08   9.   Bush needs a size 13 boot 10:18  |  Natallie Durson 02/01/08   10.   #8 Victorpaul Harrisman up early in TA 10:32  |  Labhras 02/01/08   11.   Two Zionists and their Uncle Tom 10:36  |  Clickfool 02/01/08   12.   Perhaps Disarmament of Israel is on the Agenda 10:53  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/01/08   13.   president bush 11:15  |  george 02/01/08   14.   A lemon, a joke and an Uncle Tom 11:28  |  Clickfool 02/01/08   15.   The root of this conflict is and has been from the 11:40  |  Tzuriel Cohen 02/01/08   16.   Menage a trois 12:05  |  PK 02/01/08   17.   Tzuriel Cohen, the situation works both ways 12:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/01/08   18.   Abbas should boycott the meeting 12:59  |  The Arab Hammer 02/01/08   19.   Turning an ape into a monkey 13:18  |  Natallie Durson 02/01/08   20.   Political reunion in Jerusalem. 13:20  |  sandra chitayat 02/01/08   21.   The Three Stooges! 18:15  |  Mikhail 02/01/08   22.   `negotiating`, cadging, etc. 23:01  |  bozhidar balkas 02/01/08   23.   Olmert, Bush and Abbas to hold three-way summit in Jerusalem 00:05  |  David 03/01/08   24.   #2 No Pollard on the "plain" 16:50  |  ballistic 03/01/08   25.   3-way talks 19:41  |  Observer 03/01/08

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