A trip by George Mitchell, the US Middle East envoy, to the region is just one part of a major diplomatic push by the US there.
Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, will be in Israel on Monday. Reports suggest he could, among other things, lobby for a resolution over the future of West Bank settlements – especially in Jerusalem.
As Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reports, the city has become a key point of contention between Israel and the US.
