TEL AVIV, January 2, 2008, (WAFA)- Israeli daily newspaper of "Haaretz" declared early Wednesday that the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the U.S are expected to hold a joint meeting during President George W. Bush's visit to Israel next week, in an effort to accelerate negotiations on the conflict's core issues; borders, refugees, and Jerusalem.

The newspaper added "U.S President Bush will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority next Wednesday and Thursday as part of a regional tour that will cover seven states in nine days".

"The main focus of Bush's talks will be the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the Iranian nuclear program. Preparatory talks between the White House and Jerusalem in recent days led to an agreement that a meeting will be organized between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Mahmoud Abbas and Bush", according to the newspaper.

It added that "The purpose of the tripartite meeting is to energize the negotiations between Israel and the PA".

The newspaper concluded that "If the meeting does take place, it will be held in a neutral site - not in the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. One of the possibilities is the American Consulate in East Jerusalem".