(AFP) – Jul 20, 2009

JERUSALEM — US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is to hold talks in Israel next week amid growing tensions between the two allies, a senior official said on Monday.

During his one-day visit next Monday, Gates will meet Defence Minister Ehud Barak and other top defence officials, the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He is also likely to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The talks are set to centre on efforts to halt Iran's nuclear programme, which both countries suspect is cover for a drive for an atomic bomb, an accusation denied by Tehran.

But Gates is also expected to discuss US-led efforts to kickstart the dormant Middle East peace process amid an unusually public row over Washington's demand that Israel freeze all settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory.

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