The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Paris

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday a U.S.-led conference on Palestinian statehood would not yield a peace breakthrough, a statement that appeared aimed at heading off a revolt by rightist coalition partners. Two members of Olmert's coalition have threatened to quit the government if the gathering, expected to convene in late November or early December, tackles the most sensitive issues, including control of Jerusalem and its holy sites. "The conference is not supposed to provide solutions. It can serve as a foundation for negotiations that would lead to a two-state solution," Olmert told reporters who accompanied him to France, where he meets President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday. On Tuesday, he will hold talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London before returning to Jerusalem. Olmert said Iran's nuclear program and his peace moves with the Palestinians would top the agenda of his first meetings with the two leaders since they took office.