Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ,who returned from a five-day visit to the United States on Friday, plans to convene his top seven ministers on Saturday to discuss a possible agreement with the American administration in a bid to resume direct peace talks with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu is expected to brief the government on his meetings with US officials during Sunday's cabinet meeting.
On Thursday, the prime minister sat down for a seven-hour meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The two discussed ways to renew the peace talks, including a new settlement construction freeze in the West Bank.
Political sources estimated that the efforts made Thursday would bear fruit. A senior minister clarified, however, that "as the talks progress, things just become more complicated and it's still unclear what kind of progress has been made."
A Kadima official addressed estimates that a renewed building freeze would force the prime minister to seek new partners for his coalition, stating that "Netanyahu hasn't finalized anything with us."
In joint statement issued Thursday night, Clinton and Netanyahu said they had a "good discussion" and agreed on the importance of continuing direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The two also said that Israel's security requirements will be fully taken into account in any future peace deal.
According to the statement, the two leaders had “a friendly and productive exchange of views on both sides” and “agreed on the importance of continuing direct negotiations to achieve our goals.” The recent dispute over new housing units approved in east Jerusalem was not mentioned.