Diplomats Plea for Mideast Talk Progress

Tuesday Mideast peacemakers appealed for urgent, significant progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations as conditions on the ground deteriorated and the two sides bickered at an international conference. With time running out for an agreement on at least the outlines of a settlement by a year-end target, diplomats from the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, said rapid action was now critical to meeting the deadline. They said there is an urgent need for tangible progress towards the shared goal of an agreement by the end of 2008. You know this fight has been going on for nearly 2000 years and it all began way back when Ismael (Palestinian) and Isaac (Israel) were born. They became opposing nations, even though they were half brothers with the same father. Anyone who knows their Bible will know that this will not be settled until Jesus returns. And when Jesus returns, there are an awful lot of people who will be shocked out of their shoes because they haven't studied the Bible and Revelations so they haven't read the end of the book and don't know how it ends. I hope I have peaked your interest enough to look into it.

Condoleezza Rice Pushes Israel to Lift Restrictions

Facing Mounting Palestinian frustration at the pace of peace talks, the United States leaned on Israel on Sunday to lift restrictions that chafe West Bank residents and stifle an already limping economy. Secretary of State Rice did not directly criticize close U.S. ally Israel, but had unusually direct remarks about the consequences of Israeli housing and roadblocks in the West Bank. Palestinian claims that Israel is deliberately expanding Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians claim for a state, have dampened the high hopes for a peace deal before President bush leaves office next year. When asked about settlements, Rice said that she continues to raise with the Israelis the importance of creating an atmosphere that is conducive to negotiations.