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Last update - 14:52 06/08/2008
PA: Mofaz as head of Kadima would be disaster for peace
By Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, Kadima 

A victory by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz in next month's Kadima Party leadership race would be a disaster for the peace process, senior Palestinian Authority officials say.

The officials said that an American-Palestinian plan for the continuation of the process is contingent on Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni winning the primary. A Mofaz victory, in contrast, would send the talks into a deep freeze, given his hawkish views.

Mofaz told his first formal campaign rally Tuesday that as prime minister, he would "preserve united Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital."
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To that, a senior PA official responded: "God have mercy" on the final-status talks if Mofaz wins the primary.

For now, however, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is continuing his talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The two will meet in Jerusalem Wednesday for the first time since Olmert announced that he would not run in Kadima's primary.

Palestinian sources said Abbas wants to hear Olmert's views on continuing the talks, given his declared intention of resigning after the primary. The PA would like the talks to continue during the transition period, especially because of the likelihood that Olmert will remain in power for some time after the September 17 primary, possibly even until new elections in early 2009.

A senior Israeli official commented that Olmert intends to continue the talks in their current format, but "we are growing reconciled to the fact that there will be no breakthrough. Mainly, we want to see how we can pass a live diplomatic process on to the next U.S. administration and the next Israeli government."

Olmert himself has indicated that he wants to make progress in the talks, but Livni has some reservations. At a meeting in New York with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week, she even hinted that given his political situation, Olmert has lost the legitimacy to make far-reaching concessions. However, she added, "The Israeli public can continue to support the process as long as it gives expression to the state's interests."

The PA would also like Olmert to promise at Wednesday's meeting that in the months remaining to him, he will prevent Israeli construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Finally, the Palestinians are awaiting a response to the request Abbas made when he met Olmert in Paris three weeks ago: that Israel release several leading Palestinian prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, who heads the Fatah-affiliated Tanzim organization; Aziz Duweik, a Hamas member who serves as speaker of the Palestinian parliament; Ahmed Sa'adat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and Said al-Athba, one of the leaders of the small Fida party and one of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Watan reported Tuesday that a list of the Palestinians Abbas wants released, which also includes many others of the longest-serving prisoners, was given to Livni during her meetings in Washington with the head of the PA negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia. Qureia told Livni that the release of these prisoners would play an important role in bolstering the PA's status among the general Palestinian public.

Israel is expected to release hundreds of prisoners to Hamas as part of a deal to free kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, assuming that such a deal is eventually concluded, and the list Hamas has given Israel includes many of the names that appear on Abbas' list.

So far, however, Israel is refusing to release most of prisoners on the Hamas list. An Israeli delegation headed to Cairo Tuesday for further talks on the Shalit deal.

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      1.   same PA that formed a `unity` govt with hamas? 02:14  |  vik 06/08/08
      2.   A feig to Abbas and his requests 02:39  |  Colonel 06/08/08
      3.   PA and in Tzipipi d 03:11  |  Topper 06/08/08
      4.   When PA Says "peace", They Mean Orderly Liquidation of Israel 03:12  |  Tod Zuckerman 06/08/08
      5.   Question to PA Official 03:29  |  Dovy 06/08/08
      6.   once again, internal politics prevent diplomatic breakthrough 03:42  |  Smadar 06/08/08
      7.   Old proverb 04:32  |  Wally Shu 06/08/08
      8.   smadar 04:38  |  vik 06/08/08
      9.   the ONLY way this fuss will be resolved is with a definite 06:32  |  Iva bin nodden 06/08/08
      10.   Abbas wants to hear Olmerts views. 07:30  |  Sarah 06/08/08
      11.   Abbas as head of PA is a "disaster for peace" ! 08:32  |  redmike 06/08/08
      12.   PA trying to influence Israeli politics 08:42  |  Zev 06/08/08
      13.   Disaster not only for peace.... 08:43  |  Esther 06/08/08
      14.   Mofaz is no peacemaker...... 09:14  |  Dutch 06/08/08
      15.   Mofaz as head of Kadima 09:33  |  J.G. 06/08/08
      16.   Livni & Obama - the choices of Hammas 09:52  |  Binyamin Dissen 06/08/08
      17.   And a gift to Israel: Livni is so "blonde". 10:31  |  Moshe 06/08/08
      18.   "PA: Mofaz as of Kadima would be disaster for peace" 11:18  |  Esther 06/08/08
      19.   Reply to Tod Zukerman (Post No. 4) 11:34  |  Johnny Weintraub 06/08/08
      20.   PA: " Livni is our girl" 12:58  |  I.Kemp 06/08/08
      21.   Reply to Johnny (19) 18:08  |  Tod Zuckerman 06/08/08
      22.   Does this mean that Livni is now the Palestinian candidate? 19:10  |  Realist 06/08/08
      23.   PA trying to influence Israeli politics 19:13  |  Jay Bob 06/08/08
      24.   Mofaz: the right man at the right time 19:15  |  Steve 06/08/08
      25.   #14 Dutch 19:26  |  Steve 06/08/08
      26.   Even if kadima/labour manage to seat a new PM 19:41  |  Arie 06/08/08
      27.   W must be a Nation like all others and put Olmert in Jail!! 20:03  |  Yehiam Weitzman 06/08/08
      28.   Shirley Temple is not able to save us from Iran! 20:06  |  Yakov 06/08/08
      29.   Mofaz would insure Israel remains strong and sovereign 09:35  |  Carol 07/08/08
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