US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley is continuing efforts ahead of US President George W. Bush’s planned visit in May. While it was hoped the efforts of Hadley and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would have yielded some type of agreement between Israel and the PA, it now appears this may not be the case.

Some remain optimistic that an agreement will be reached, pointing out the backroom talks between Israel and the PA are ongoing, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) have met many times and Israel according to all accounts has made generous offers and widespread concessions in the name of signing another agreement.

Perhaps the latest report comes from the London-based Al-Shark Al-Awsat Arabic language newspaper, which states Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has offered 64% of Yehuda and Shomron to the Palestinian Authority in addition to a sizable portion of Jerusalem.

Government officials continue to release contradictory and ambiguous statements, but it is clear to all that the dialogue between Livni and Abu Mazen are ongoing and the current administration is willing to make unprecedented concessions to the PA in the name of presenting President Bush with a deal in hand.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)