Peace agreement can be reached: Israeli deputy minister

Israel and the Palestinians can wrap up a final peace deal within two years, Israel’s deputy defence minister Ephraim Sneh said today, becoming the first senior Israeli official to propose a timeline for long-stalled peace talks.

Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced she would soon meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to explore ways to accelerate peacemaking and establish a Palestinian state.