Determined to obtain a signed document before next week’s visit to Israel by President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is seeking an Israeli-PA memorandum ahead of the presidential visit, Bush’s last planned arrival in Israel before he departs from office following completion of his second term.

A memorandum of understanding, while in actually is meaningless, another document to add to the mounting pile of previously signed documents, will give Bush something concrete in hand. Both sides are hesitant to comply with Rice’s call for the memorandum.

Analysts agree that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is a lame duck leader with the threat of an imminent major criminal indictment hanging over his head, rendering him powerless to make any major policy decisions with the PA at this time.

In addition, ongoing round-the-clock terror from Gaza and the PA’s insistence on Jerusalem serving as a Palestinian capital and the right of return for so-called Palestinian refugees make major progress unlikely at present.

Nevertheless, during her two-day shuttle diplomacy mission over the weekend, Rice told Israel the “world does not believe there is progress” and she wants a piece of paper to enhance the White House’s image regarding ongoing regional peace efforts.

Emerging from a Jerusalem meeting on Monday, both Prime Minister Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) spoke of significant progress, with the two discussing final border realities, but the issues of Jerusalem and the right of return were not discussed.

(NOTE: Click HERE to read why Olmert might be in a rush to “make a deal”.)

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)