The Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to meet every two weeks to discuss day-to-day issues, but also a "political horizon," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Tuesday, after shuttling between the two sides for three days. Rice also said her envoy will try to set benchmarks for implementing a cease-fire, including the halting of rocket fire from Gaza, and for improving the flow of Palestinian travelers and goods through Israeli crossings, the Associated Press reported. The secretary of state said doors had been opened during her visit and that she was laying the ground work for future peace talks. Rice said she believed it was still possible for a peace deal to be reached during President Bush's term. She said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas showed flexibility. "They achieved something, which is the very regularized meetings between the two of them, in which they will not just talk about their day-to-day issues, but also about a political horizon," Rice said, speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem.
