Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni metMonday with US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi, who is heading a bipartisan delegation of 13 congressmen, is currently in Israel in honor of its 60th Independence Day celebrations.
"The peace process, important as it is cannot change the situation in Gaza," Livni told Pelosi. "The Gaza Strip is on its way to becoming a regional problem, hindering any possibility of reaching a comprehensive agreement," she added.
"You can see from the situation in Lebanon just how much of a threat Iran isto the region," said the foreign minister, adding that the effectiveness the international community's sanctions on Iran, depends on it having a united front against the Islamic Republic.
The timeframe in which a peace agreement can be achieved is important, she told the US delegation, but a rigid timetable may also lead to unreal expectations, disappointment and violence. Both sides, continued Livni, must be given the space and time to broker a long-term agreement which truly represents both their interests.
The US delegation met with President Shimon Peres ,Defense Minister Ehud Barak andOpposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud)on Sunday. The delegation is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert andKnesset Speaker Dalia Itzik later this week.