Both Mr Mitchell and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana are in the region to push for peace talks

"listening mission"
"Obama discussed this "holistic" approach in his Al-Arabiya interview, saying, "I do think that it is impossible for us to think only in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not think in terms of what's happening with Syria or Iran or Lebanon or Afghanistan and Pakistan. These things are interrelated. Obama also sought to set realistic goals in his interview, saying, "I want to make sure that expectations are not raised so that we think that this is going to be resolved in a few months. But if we start the steady progress on these issues, I'm absolutely confident that the United States - working in tandem with the European Union, with Russia, with all the Arab states in the region - I'm absolutely certain that we can make significant progress..
In a related development, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Israel Tuesday evening and met with Livni as part of the EU's efforts to consolidate the Gaza cease-fire, assist the Egyptians in combating arms smuggling, and open the Gaza border crossings.."
Jerusalem Post