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Last update - 09:49 07/06/2008 Rice to press Israel, PA toward peace during visit next week By Reuters Tags: Ehud Olmert, Palestinians  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Israel and the West Bank next week to try to nudge Israelis and Palestinians toward a peace deal this year despite Israel's political turmoil. Rice will travel first to Paris to attend an Afghan donors conference on Thursday and then to the Middle East, where the corruption scandal dogging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has raised deep doubts about the chances of a peace agreement. Olmert has rebuffed calls that he resign over allegations that he took envelopes stuffed with cash from a Jewish-American businessman. Advertisement Both, Olmert, who has said he would resign if indicted, and the New York-based businessman have denied any wrongdoing. Israeli officials close to the prime minister have said his strategy will be to try to push ahead with peace negotiations as if nothing has changed and hope that the corruption investigation does not end in charges against him. But given the political uncertainty, he may have even less room to maneuver in terms of both the peace talks themselves and in meeting U.S. demands that he ease travel and trade restrictions for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. "I know there's a lot of political turmoil in Israel," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "That is not our concern. ... We're focused on the substance of this process and trying to move it forward with both sides." The State Department said Rice would travel from June 11 to June 16, making stops in Paris, where she will attend the International Support Conference for Afghanistan and join President George W. Bush for meetings with French officials. She then visits Jerusalem and Ramallah. McCormack said she would discuss, among other things, the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas Islamists seized control last June, and the effort "to achieve agreement this year on the establishment of a Palestinian state." Related articles: PM to Bush, Abbas: I'll weather legal storm, stay in office Barak: Major operation in Gaza is closer than ever Arab, Meretz lawmakers unlikely to support early election Bookmark to del.icio.us   Terrorist donuts U.S. Arabs irate over criticism of celebrity cook's kaffiyeh. All the way to hell Rosner's blog: It's Obama's good intentions that pro-Israel activists fear.   1.   Waste of US tax dollars 01:46  |  Harold 07/06/08   2.   Rice is irrelevent 01:53  |  Frank 07/06/08   3.   BUSH/RICE PRESSURE ISRAEL FOR MORE PIECE WITH NO HONEST..... 03:33  |  glenna 07/06/08   4.   It`s high time America realised that Israel is only.. 04:37  |  Deborah 07/06/08   5.   #4 Deborah 08:48  |  Joshua 07/06/08   6.   What Rice will talk when Abbas defected to Hamas ? 09:28  |  Akram Zekaria 07/06/08   7.   condolizza 09:28  |  aline 07/06/08   8.   About Mr Olmert. 09:33  |  Maureen Ann 07/06/08   9.   Rice: Let`s make this quick, I only have a few months left 11:15  |  Natallie Durson 07/06/08   10.   Very Silly! Rice should press..... 12:52  |  The Archives 07/06/08   11.   Deborah #4 22:24  |  American in NY 07/06/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: Leave it to Fox News to elect Obama Responses: 218 Olmert: Broad Gaza military operation closer than ever Responses: 182 U.S. rejects Mofaz remarks on Iran strike seeming 'unavoidable' Responses: 344 Obama's pro-Israel speech before AIPAC riles Arab press Responses: 87 Rosner's Domain Obama and Jerusalem: did you really believe him? Guest: Marrying within the faith isn't racism - it's self preservation Should you mess with the Zohan? (WTR) Poll: Philip Roth, Victor Frankl or Leon Uris? What did Obama say to Joe Lieberman? (WTR) More Headlines 22:05 Iran demands Security Council action on Israel threat 20:50 Clinton halts presidency bid, endorses Obama 22:22 Israel, PA agree to start drafting peace proposal 17:50 McCain calls for moving U.S. embassy to Jerusalem 18:21 X-Men mutant survives the Holocaust in new Marvel Comics miniseries 19:20 Muslim clerics back Saudi king Abdullah's interfaith meeting 19:55 Sports broadcaster who covered 1972 Munich massacre Jim McKay dies at 86 21:23 Jordan's Islamic party stages mass rally against Gaza blockade 12:46 Author Thomas L. Friedman: Military leverage on Iran only short-term option 17:48 PA officials say they want Abbas to run for re-election in 2010 21:08 Man drowns at unrecognized bathing spot near Nahariya 01:54 Arab states leery of Israel's entry into Mediterranean Union 09:48 Group demands Venezuela envoy recall over Jewish conspiracy remark Previous Editions Select Day 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun 02 jun 01 jun 30 may 29 may 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may

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