(1 Apr 2007) SHOTLIST
1. Exterior of foreign ministry building
2. EU, German and Israeli flags outside ministry
3. Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, greeting German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, they shake hands
4. Merkel walking towards table
5. Merkel seated at table
6. Livni seated at table, pan to Merkel
7. Exterior shot of Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and Memorial
8. Mid of exterior of Yad Vashem
9. Tilt up and zoom in to German chancellor Angela Merkel (middle) and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (left) at Hall of Remembrance
10. Wide of Merkel and Livni standing
11. Close-up of wreath at Hall of Remembrance
12. Merkel laying wreath at Hall of Remembrance
13. Wide of Hall of Remembrance
14. Merkel signing guest book
15. Close up of guest book, writing reading (German): "Humanity grows out of responsibility for the past, Angela Merkel"
16. Merkel shaking hands with officials and getting into car
17. Mid of German and Israeli flags on car
18. Mid of car
STORYLINE
In her first Mideast trip as EU president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was meeting Sunday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, trying to build on a new burst of international efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Her visit came after the Arab world renewed a land-for-recognition offer to Israel last week. Since then, the Quartet of Mideast mediators - the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia - has said it hopes to arrange a meeting with moderate Arab states, Israel and the Palestinians before the summer.
Merkel, who now holds the rotating EU presidency, plays an important Quartet role. However, several obstacles are blocking progress.
Much of the world is still reluctant to deal with the new Palestinian unity government, a coalition of the Islamic militant Hamas and the Fatah movement of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, because it has failed to explicitly recognise Israel or renounce violence.
Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has said he will not talk to Abbas about any of the ingredients of a final peace deal, such as the borders of a future Palestinian state, until Palestinian militants halt rocket fire from Gaza and release an Israeli soldier held in Gaza for nine months.
Olmert, while praising the Arabs' readiness to offer recognition, has been cool to the price Israel is asked to pay for it - a withdrawal from the lands it captured in the 1967 Mideast War, including the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, and recognition of the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees.
Israel has said that while willing to give up lands, it won't return to the 1967 borders. It flatly rejects the return of refugees.
In a visit last week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrested a promise from Olmert and Abbas to meet biweekly.
Merkel is expected to ask the two leaders to make good use of these conversations - no date has been set for the first round - but her aides said she is not carrying a concrete action plan.
The chancellor arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday evening and held informal talks with Olmert.
Sunday's stops included breakfast with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.
Merkel spent about half an hour at the Holocaust memorial, visiting the Hall of Remembrance and laying a wreath decorated with ribbons bearing the German flag.
Merkel did not comment to reporters. But before leaving, she wrote in the memorial's guest book: "Humanity grows out of responsibility for the past."
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