President Bush is set to meet Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as both draw near to the ends of their terms in office.
Bilateral relations are on the agenda for the two close allies, as well as the effort to bring peace to the Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters Sunday that there are still "a number of things" Israel must do to meet its obligations under the so-called "road map" plan for peace with the Palestinians.
President Bush has conceded that his goal of achieving a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians will not be reached by the time he leaves office in January. The Israeli and Palestinian governments have said the same.
Secretary Rice traveled to Israel earlier this month to make a final attempt at moving the process forward, but she said plans for an early election in Israel have complicated the situation.
Mr. Olmert has announced he is stepping down because of corruption allegations. Israeli elections are scheduled for February.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
