US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israel and the Palestinians today to talk about the key issues that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.
The most troublesome of these are the so-called final status matters - the future of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return of refugees.
Israel is baulking at such a broad commitment at this stage, but Ms Rice noted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had said he was ready to discuss fundamental issues leading to a Palestinian state, though she gave no details.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
"There should be a deepening of the dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis on all of the issues that will lead ultimately to the founding of a Palestinian state," she told a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Ms Rice is on a visit to the West Bank aimed at bolstering the Fatah leader and his government, six weeks after Hamas Islamists took over the Gaza Strip.
The United States is pushing for Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert, due to meet next week, to start tackling the more prickly issues, as Mr Abbas wants.
Israeli officials have spoken instead of formulating with Mr Abbas "agreed principles" for establishing a Palestinian state.
One senior Israeli government official said Israel was prepared to begin discussing border issues in general terms with Mr Abbas, but saw the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees as too sensitive for the time being.
On her four-day trip to the Middle East, Ms Rice won tacit Saudi backing for a proposed peace conference later this year.