US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Israel and the West Bank today, hoping to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process but realistic that domestic political upheaval lessens chances of a breakthrough.
Ms Rice is expected to tell Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last September must be followed up with more action as Palestinians prepare for January elections and face increased security concerns.
She told reporters travelling with her from Washington that she wants answers from Mr Sharon over how to move the peace process forward under an agreement last February in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, which includes prisoner releases and freedom of movement.
Pressed on whether this also meant tackling the handover of more West Bank settlements to the Palestinians, Ms Rice said she did not want to comment on this as it was a "security judgment."
Ms Rice is in Saudi Arabia as part of a US push to improve relations between the two countries, which have been particularly strained since the September 11 attacks against the United States.
Her trip to Israel coincides with political change there and one senior State Department official said this could make it harder for the United States to push the peace agenda. Newly-elected Israeli Labor chief Amir Peretz, a socialist and head of Israel's workers union, beat Shimon Peres last Thursday to become leader of the left-wing Labor party, which joined Mr Sharon's coalition earlier this year to push forward his Gaza pullout plan.
Mr Peretz has said he would press Mr Sharon next week to call for Israeli parliamentary elections as early as March and the Americans fear this will further dampen peace hopes which have been stalled by violence.
During her visit to Jerusalem, Ms Rice will address the Saban Forum of the US-based Brookings Institution and is also set to attend a memorial to mark the 10th anniversary of the assassination of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.
After visiting Israel she will make a stop in Jordan to pay her respects after last week's hotel bombings which killed 57 people. She then travels to Asia where she will join US President George W. Bush for a meeting of APEC leaders.