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Is Abbas still relevant to the peace process?
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
Tags: peace process, barack obama 

WASHINGTON - If ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the analysts tried to assess the intensity of the confrontation with U.S. President Barack Obama, the president's meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House today is raising a completely different query: Is the 74-year old Palestinian leader still relevant?

Abbas arrived in Washington Wednesday night and went to work with a "working dinner" with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Like the meeting between Netanyahu and Clinton, this one too was closed to the press. The media in the United States has questionned Abbas' effectiveness ahead of the visit.

The Washington Post noted that "Abbas heads a fractured government and a fractured political party. His term expired four months ago. His handpicked prime minister, trusted to manage billions of dollars in foreign aid, is reviled by some Palestinians as a U.S. proxy."
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Time Magazine wrote that while Netanyahu is opposed to the principle of two states for two peoples, Abbas, who is committed to such a solution, is limited in his ability to negotiate in the name of the Palestinian people.

Obama considers his role as one in which he provides Abbas with the necessary support, in part by pressing Netanyahu and taking a tough stance on settlements.

Even though Netanyahu does not intend to make any more concessions to Abbas than his predecessor did, this is a critical time for restoring the political mandate of the PA leader, and stalled talks can only undermine his position further. Washington is pressing Abbas to accept unconditional talks with Israel. But Obama is careful about placing too much on Abbas. Hamas has already made it clear that the group considers Abbas' visit to Washington as another humiliation for the Palestinian leader at the hands of Israel and the U.S.

While Washington has downplayed the visits here of Netanyahu and Abbas, Obama is busy building up the Arab peace plan. The White House announced yesterday that Obama will expand his visit to the Middle East, and prior to visiting Cairo for his address to the Muslim world, he will pass through Saudi Arabia and Jordan for talks on the peace process with the leaders there.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama would hold talks with King Abdullah in Riyadh on 3 June to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace moves, Iran and terrorism.

Some analysts say the U.S. administration is considering adopting a modified Arab peace plan proposed by the Saudis. The inclusion of Saudi Arabia "was not born of anything specific," Gibbs said.

While Israel and the Palestinians are standing still on the peace process, the U.S. is expanding cooperation with Arab states in an effort to advance the issue.

Clinton met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and thanked the Egyptian leadership for its determined contribution to the peace process and to bridging the differences between the parties.

The secretary of state reiterated that the U.S. is committed to peace in the Middle East and stressed that each of the parties had made promises in the past "which we expect them to keep."

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      1.   Abbas ? 02:59  |  WHG 28/05/09
      2.   Peace process 03:58  |  Yossi 28/05/09
      3.   Mahmoud Abbas is Irrelevant! Palestinians need early elections!!! 04:06  |  MOE 28/05/09
      4.   Abbas Who? Relevancy? 04:19  |  Jeff Northridge 28/05/09
      5.   Of Course Not 04:23  |  Mark Lincoln 28/05/09
      6.   Recycle Please 05:29  |  Bazmann 28/05/09
      7.   Why is the question relevant? 05:52  |  Fortuna Benmayor 28/05/09
      8.   Mr Cellophane 06:15  |  real vision 28/05/09
      9.   Right on M.Lincoln 06:29  |  No Dope 28/05/09
      10.   Palestinians want Hamas, not peace, so Abbas is out! 06:37  |  Voice of Reason 28/05/09
      11.   Need a Partner? Hire one, hire me! 06:42  |  Pardner 28/05/09
      12.   Good post, Partner 07:40  |  Jasper 28/05/09
      13.   To Abbas "armed struggle" remains an option. 07:43  |  Mario Sala 28/05/09
      14.   All Leaders, not just Abbas 07:47  |  Shimon Cleopas 28/05/09
      15.   Palestinians don`t need a sovereign state 07:52  |  allang 28/05/09
      16.   No less than the idiot BIBi 08:10  |  Marilyn 28/05/09
      17.   Peace process? - It was just Arafat`s deceit. Forget it. PALS.... 08:14  |  Vittorio 28/05/09
      18.   M.LINCOLN The Pals did not need Rabin to reject the Clinton plan 08:22  |  PETER SM 28/05/09
      19.   TheU.S. has a partner in Israel,that is not a bad deal 08:59  |  Susanna/Shoshana 28/05/09
      20.   Who is going to force the Muslim countries to do anything,they ar 09:12  |  Susanna/Shoshana 28/05/09
      21.   do you want abbas or hamas israel???????? 10:25  |  abraham 28/05/09
      22.   Does it matter? 10:51  |  Matthew Houston 28/05/09
      23.   13# allang you just killed zionism in your post 11:36  |  muslim-- 28/05/09
      24.   8# wake up mister cellophone. 11:41  |  muslim-- 28/05/09
      25.   To real vision 12:06  |  Sam Soul 28/05/09
      26.   Abbas is confusing us - he really wants to make peace 12:15  |  Robin 28/05/09
      27.   His term expired four months ago 12:42  |  Palestinian 28/05/09
      28.   Marwan Barghouti would be a better leader 14:58  |  WHG 28/05/09
      29.   #23 Muslim - you killed the 2 state solution 18:42  |  *BEN JABO 28/05/09
      30.   Strong Palestinian Representation 19:18  |  Vladek 28/05/09
      31.   The Old Lapdog Again Doing Tricks For His Masters 19:22  |  chet 28/05/09
      32.   Anyone who does not speak for both sides is 19:45  |  Witness 28/05/09
      33.   # 23 muslim..... get your house in order 20:36  |  allang 28/05/09
      34.   To "Voice of Reason": Yes and Israelis voted for Sharon and Bibi 20:55  |  peacelover 28/05/09
      35.   allang from the failed state of California 21:55  |  Ibrahim 28/05/09
      36.   Abbas is not that relevant 01:02  |  julie 29/05/09
      37.   Abbas is irrelevant 01:30  |  Brod 29/05/09
      38.   #23 Muslin - You rejected the 2 state solution 04:46  |  *BEN JABO 29/05/09
      39.   smile abby 05:37  |  maoriboy 29/05/09
      40.   I DOUBT ABBAS WILL BE THEIR CHOICE 06:47  |  indrajaya 29/05/09
      41.   Is PLO preventing peace? 08:42  |  Baruch Gold 29/05/09
      42.   Why always puncture hopes for peace? 11:05  |  S 29/05/09
      43.   #36 Baruch asks a silly question 12:00  |  maoriboy 29/05/09
      44.   Peace process? 14:54  |  Nechama 29/05/09
      45.   #44 A shallow understanding, Nechama 17:44  |  Johnboy 29/05/09
      46.   Abbas 19:19  |  rm 29/05/09
      47.   Brod .. The Bible is not a land deed ... 22:08  |  American 29/05/09
      48.   #37 Brod ... The Bible is not a deed book 23:17  |  American 29/05/09
      49.   American #47, #48 12:36  |  Brod 30/05/09
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