A trip by George Mitchell, the US Middle East envoy, to the region is one part of a major diplomatic push by the US there.
Robert Gates, the US defense minister, will be in Israel on Monday.
Although Gates's office will not confirm his agenda reports suggest he could, among other things, lobby for a resolution over the future of West Bank settlements - especially in Jerusalem.
As Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports, the disputed city has become a key point of contention between Israel and the US.
