Israel Announces Meeting with Palestinian PM

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has announced he will hold a rare meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to discuss issues including security and the economy.

Barak said Wednesday the meeting would take place in "coming days," but he did not specify a day or location.  Palestinian officials have not confirmed the meeting.

He made the announcement following talks with U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell, who returned to the region this week to mediate another round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Barak says the goal, at this point, is to move to direct talks with Palestinians on all issues.

The Palestinians want an independent state in areas Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, with East Jerusalem as their capital.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state, but with strict conditions.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said there was no chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state by 2012 - a target date set by international negotiators.