Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has confronted critics within his own party who fear he may concede too much to Palestinians and urged them to seize an opportunity to make peace after 60 years of conflict.
Addressing his centrist Kadima party after the latest meetings with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr Olmert said he would free more Palestinian prisoners as part of "measured gestures" toward President Mahmoud Abbas as they try to agree terms for a US-sponsored peace conference.
Ms Rice said Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas had come a "very, very long way" since she hosted a frosty meeting between them last February in Jerusalem and that she was optimistic Palestinians and Israelis would agree to a joint document on the issues that divide them before the conference.
"There is clearly a kind of focus and commitment on the part of both of the leaders as well as the people who are working most closely with them to try and get this document done," Ms Rice said during a refuelling stop in Shannon.
During a 36-hour diplomatic push, she assured Mr Abbas that the meeting scheduled for November near Washington should put the Palestinians firmly on the path to statehood.
Mr Olmert has been accused in Israel, even by some allies, of preparing to achieve that by handing over parts of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, known to Israelis as Judea and Samaria.
Mr Olmert told a noisy party conference: "I know the reigning opinion in some circles is that we need to wait . . . that we mustn't rush or nurture an atmosphere that will lead to serious negotiations.
"Those who think that always find excuses . . . to avoid seizing opportunities and not look for real chances to break the ice between us and the Palestinians. I do not share this view."