Israel's foreign minister Silvan Shalom and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell have emerged from a meeting in Washington sounding optimistic about reviving the stalled Middle East peace process, after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Mr. Powell said when the new Palestinian leadership is in place, President Bush will invest political capital in establishing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
He said he still plans to meet with parties in the region and discuss options, despite his resignation announced earlier Monday.
Mr. Powell said he will travel to Egypt as planned next week for a conference on Iraq.
A Palestinian official says Mr. Powell will also visit the West Bank, but that has not been confirmed.