Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday there would be no chance for Israel and the Palestinians to reach a peace accord that includes the issue of Jerusalem by the end of 2008. "I don't believe we can reach an understanding this year that includes the Jerusalem issue," Olmert was quoted as saying to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset by the 'Ha'aretz' newspaper. "There is no practical chance of reaching an overall understanding on Jerusalem," Olmert reportedly said.
"Whoever thinks it is possible to live with 270,000 Arabs in Jerusalem must take into account that there will be more bulldozers, more tractors, and more cars carrying out (terror) attacks," he said.As to the other final status issues in the staggered peace talks such as borders and the return of Palestinian refugees, the prime minister said the remaining gaps were "not so dramatic."
Israeli and Palestinian Authority negotiation teams, headed by Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and the Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei respectively, were set to arrive at Washington on Wednesday for a three-way meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak and transport minister Shaul Mofaz are also scheduled to join the Israeli delegation.
'Ha'aretz' also reported that Rice was putting pressure on Israel and the PNA to try to agree on a document of understanding ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Rice wants to use the General Assembly to present a document summarizing the progress since the US-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November 2007, according to a senior Israeli government official.
