MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: One of the most nettlesome diplomatic challenges for the Bush administration will be the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian violence is now entering its 12th week, and the death toll has climbed yet again. Two Palestinians were killed in the Gaza area, and a Palestinian activist died in an explosion that some are calling an Israeli assassination. Nonetheless, some signs of optimism emerging. Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak briefed his cabinet on efforts to resume peace talks. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says talks could take place in Washington this week. Let's check in at the White House for more on that and get some perspective on it. Kathleen Koch is joining us. Good morning, Kathleen.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles. All parties know that the clock is ticking, that now may be the best chance for Mideast peace. President Clinton called Yasser Arafat yesterday, and the two men spoke for about 20 minutes about getting peace negotiations going again. The Israelis would like to see a peace accord reached before President Clinton leaves office. They are concerned about the time lag required before the Bush administration gets up to speed on the players and the issues involved in the ongoing dispute. The Palestinians, meanwhile, will, after elections in Israel in early February, perhaps find themselves dealing with a new Israeli leader, who could be less interested in peace than current Prime Minister Ehud Barak. And President Clinton, of course, is very interested in achieving a Mideast peace accord. Something like that would clearly cement his foreign policy legacy. It's something he worked very hard on at the talks at Camp David this summer but has so far been unsuccessful at. Now, to that end, we are told that midlevel negotiators on both sides will be coming to Washington later this week to talk with officials at the State Department and see if perhaps there actually is some new ground that would justify resuming the talks -- Miles.</s>O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks very much.
Hopes for Mideast Peace Renewed