Mideast accord not expected by year's end

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is unlikely to happen before the end of the year, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday.

Recognizing changes in the political landscape during the past two months, spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "We do not think that it's likely that (an agreement) would happen before the end of the year."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice echoed the same sentiments when she talked with the press en route to Israel for her latest round of discussions.

Maintaining momentum for negotiations is important, Perino said during a news briefing.

"It's our experience that over the past year we have laid some very good groundwork for the Palestinians and the Israelis to be able to continue to have their discussions," she said.

Bush was the first world leader to call for a Palestinian state, she said. "And that has meant a lot to the people in the region who are working to bridge the divide between the two and establish the definition of a state," Perino said.