Joe Biden in Israel to press Mid-East peace talks
US Vice-President Joe Biden is to meet Israeli leaders, a day after arriving in the Middle East as part of a new initiative to revive the peace process.
Mr Biden is expected to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume talks, in the highest-level visit yet by an Obama administration official.
Iran's nuclear programme is expected to be at the top of Israel's agenda.
Hours before Mr Biden landed, Israel enraged Palestinians by approving 112 new homes in the occupied West Bank.
Mr Biden will try to reassure Mr Netanyahu that plans for tougher sanctions against Iran are serious, says the BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen.
The US does not want Israel to take military action against Iran, which is much talked about here, our correspondent reports from Jerusalem.
Mr Biden is due to hold talks with Mr Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and opposition leader Tzipi Livni later on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he will meet Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
artificial pumpkinshas refused to meet Mr Netanyahu because of Israel's refusal to put a complete stop to building Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel does not consider areas within the Jerusalem municipality to be settlements.
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