"US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is holding talks in Jerusalem with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert as she seeks to ease Israel's conflict with Lebanon.
They are expected to discuss plans for a long-term ceasefire, which she says must be "based on enduring principles and not on temporary solutions".
A short-term ceasefire would look attractive at the moment, even if it were based on temporary arrangements. After all, most ceasefires are short-term arrangements, designed to give the parties time to think about the longer term.
On the other hand, to rule out of hand any ceasefire which is not based on 'enduring principles' is setting the bar rather high, appearing to condemn the populations of both Lebanon and Israel to continued strife over the next few days or weeks.
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