The White House has acknowledged it won’t meet its stated goal of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement before President Bush leaves office. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke at the start of a Middle East visit.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: “I am not going to try to judge what the parties will want to do during this process and as it unfolds. As I understand it, they are going to, before the Quartet, and I’m sure throughout the next several months, affirm that the Annapolis process and the framework that it establishes is indeed the basis on which they believe they can come to a resolution of their conflict, regardless of timetable, regardless of anyone’s timetable.”

Rice went on to cite Israel’s internal political upheaval as a major factor behind the failure to reach a deal. But critics have long dismissed the possibility of a peace agreement amidst continued US support for Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and its siege of the Gaza Strip.