By ASSOCIATED PRESS
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met Wednesday with Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz in Jerusalem, to urge Israel to accept the terms of a draft UN resolution that aims to end four weeks of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah guerrillas.
Steinmeier is on a three-day trip to the region with meetings scheduled with Lebanese and Israeli leaders. Steinmeier and Peretz did not address the media during their meeting.
Steinmeier was set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni later Wednesday.
Berlin has avoided directly criticizing Israel since fighting erupted, repeatedly underscoring the Jewish state's right to exist and its right to self-defense. It has called for a cease-fire "as quickly as possible" rather than immediately.
On Thursday, Steinmeier is to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.