Three cabinet ministers will be in Washington this week, all meeting with Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice independent of one another.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak will also be meeting with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Livni will also take place in a trilateral meeting with Rice and Ahmed Quriea (Abu Ala) as the secretary of state seeks to jumpstart negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority).  Barak will also be meeting with Chief of Joint Staffs Admiral Michael Mullen and other senior defense officials.

Mofaz will be meeting to discuss the Iranian nuclear threat and the situation in Lebanon on this, his third Washington visit this year. The former IDF chief of staff and defense minister is responsible for “strategic dialogue” between Washington and Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)