[…] I’m looking forward to what will unfortunately be a brief visit to the – to Israel and to Ramallah to discuss how we continue to push forward in the negotiations, to talk with people about the situation on the ground. General Fraser is with me and he’s going to stay behind to continue to work on some of the issues on the ground.

[…] The U.S. government and a humanitarian organization devoted to helping the Palestinian people have established a mechanism to channel private American donations into programs that benefit the Palestinians. A memorandum of understanding was signed August 1 in Washington by the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Henrietta Fore, and Ziad Asali, the founder and chairman of the American Charities for Palestine.

[…] Today, the United States and Israel held a Strategic Dialogue led by the Department’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Bill Burns, and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation, Shaul Mofaz, to expand cooperation on regional threats. The United States and Israel share deep concern about Iran’s nuclear program, and the two delegations discussed steps to strengthen diplomatic efforts and financial measures to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

[…] Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s resignation announcement will not disrupt U.S. efforts to promote Middle East peace through a two-state solution by the end of the Bush administration, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “We continue to be committed to the goals of Annapolis,” Rice said July 30 following a “fruitful” meeting with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. “We continue to watch parties and to work with parties who are working very, very hard toward an agreement.”

[…] Because these actions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on August 1, 2007, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond August 1, 2008. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13441.