Top officials meet ahead of mid-east summit

Palestinian and Israeli officials today expressed widely different expectations for an upcoming summit between their leaders, reflecting the sharp differences that remain as the two sides try to end four years of hostilities and resume peace talks.

In a step toward bridging the differences, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Mohammed Dahlan, a top Palestinian security official, met late today to prepare for the summit. The meeting was expected to focus on security-related matters.