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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Tess Scheflan)
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Last update - 20:43 19/11/2007
Government cites 'progress' as Olmert and Abbas meeting ends
By Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: Settlements, Annapolis 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met on Monday to break a deadlock in preparations for an international peace summit expected to take place next week in Annapolis, Maryland.

Israel sees the conference primarily as a ceremonial launching pad for new peace efforts, while the Palestinians want a more detailed plan for how post-conference talks will proceed.

The sides are meant to draft a joint statement that will be presented at the conference, but the gaps in their positions have endangered the document. Political sources said after Monday's meeting, in which negotiating staff also took part," that "it is still unclear whether there will be a joint statement, but there was progress, and it seems the two sides are ready or it."
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Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, also said progress was made during the two and a half hour-long meeting. "There is enough agreement on enough things that there isn't an atmosphere of crisis, although there are some issues that remain open," Eisin said after Olmert met Abbas.

Saeb Erekat, the chief PLO negotiator, said that the leaders exchanged new proposals in the meeting, and asked negotiation teams to hold more talks later in the day to continued try to bridge gaps.

As for the atmosphere of the meeting, Erekat said to reporters, "Was the meeting difficult? Yes. Are there differences remaining? Yes."

The heads of the two sides negotiating teams, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, will meet on Monday evening to attempt to bridge gaps.

After the Abbas-Olmert talks, the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, met with Abbas at his West Bank headquarters.

Earlier Monday, Olmert told the cabinet that Israel will not establish any new settlements in the West Bank and will begin to dismantle existing illegal outposts.

Olmert said that the decision meets Israel's commitments under the road map - an internationally brokered peace plan that ultimately aims to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Its first phase obligates Israel to freeze all settlement construction and remove dozens of unauthorized settlement outposts built since 2001. The plan also requires the Palestinians to crack down on militants.

"The road map explicitly obligates Israel not to build new settlements or communities in Judea and Samaria or to expropriate land. We must fulfill these obligations," he said.

"We will not deviate from our principles, and we will fulfill all of our obligations," he said.

Erekat described Olmert's comments as "nonsense" unless they included halting new building in established settlements.

"It is impossible to repeat that the road map is a strategic asset for Israel and at the same time to ignore our obligations," he added. "Let us admit to ourselves: We committed not to built new settlements - we won't build new settlements. We promised not to expropriate land - we won't expropriate. We promised to raze illegal outposts - so certainly, we will raze them."

The Palestinians have told the United States they would will nothing less than a total freeze in settlement building ahead of the upcoming peace conference, a Palestinian official said over the weekend.

Abbas says he has begun carrying out his obligations and wants Israel to do the same.

Erekat said Olmert's gesture falls far short of Israel's commitments. He noted that a string of Israeli leaders have maintained that Israel should be allowed to build in existing settlements to account for natural growth.

"He omitted from the Israeli obligation in the road map that the Israeli government must freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth," Erekat said. "Either it's a 100 percent settlement freeze or no settlement freeze. There is nothing in the middle.

A participant in Sunday's cabinet meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Olmert indicated he would not halt existing settlements' natural growth.

Some 270,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in addition to roughly 180,000 Jews living in East Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both areas, - which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War - for part of their future state.

Israel has built no new authorized settlements in nearly a decade.

Olmert has signaled his is ready to relinquish large areas of the West Bank and parts of East Jerusalem. But he also hopes to retain large settlement blocs in the West Bank and key areas in East Jerusalem, including Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites.

Lieberman: Ditch diplomacy and focus on security
Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu) said during the cabinet session that "it is obvious that the Palestinians' minimum is far beyond [Meretz Chairman Yossi] Beilin's maximum, so we should abandon the diplomatic track and concentrate on security."

He also said that "we should deal with Gaza thoroughly to eradicate Qassam fire," and added that "a Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state must be a pre-condition for any negotiation."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the cabinet that Israel's interest in talks with the Palestinians lies in the fact that the Middle East has undergone a process of radicalization.

"Time is against us," she said. "There is a global trend to de-legitimize Israel as the Jewish nation-state. One understands the need to establish a Palestinian state, but unfortunately it is not a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question."

Livni added that "Israel's security is not high enough on the global agenda, and therefore accords with the pragmatic camp of the Palestinian Authority are presently required, so that Israel's security will be ensured under the stipulations of the road map."

"There are still gaps to bridge, but we must pursue negotiations with the moderates to the full, because later it will be more difficult," she concluded.

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      1.   promises, promises 12:18  |  Axel 19/11/07
      2.   And WE Declare That We Will Keep Building In OUR Land 12:26  |  Yishai Kohen 19/11/07
      3.   Olmert speaks for himself , will anyway be ousted 12:54  |  Joseph E . 19/11/07
      4.   PM`s decision 12:55  |  Peaceful 19/11/07
      5.   Now it`s Abbas`s turn to freeze all terrorist activity 13:00  |  Hastaroth 19/11/07
      6.   Olmert` head should be checked , xed rays ect... 13:09  |  Joseph E . 19/11/07
      7.   WAS THIS STATEMENT ISSUED FROM JAIL OR ELSEWHERE ? 13:13  |  P.Rison 19/11/07
      8.   US Dep`t of States should have its head checked 13:16  |  Joseph E . 19/11/07
      9.   The weakest of all possible statements 13:16  |  Observer 19/11/07
      10.   #Axel promises, promises 13:33  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 19/11/07
      11.   #7 The weakest 13:35  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 19/11/07
      12.   Cowed Israel doesn`t dare to say Hamas Qassams nullify the road m 13:38  |  Absolute Sweden 19/11/07
      13.   Iraquis Want US Soldiers to Stay,Finance such Stay with Iraq Oil 13:40  |  Joseph E . 19/11/07
      14.   Fine words, PM Olmert 13:40  |  Esther 19/11/07
      15.   Look at what Israel does..not what it says 13:40  |  Tim 19/11/07
      16.   Here we go Again!!!! 13:46  |  Jenny 19/11/07
      17.   A very Loaded Sentence 13:49  |  Tzfonit 19/11/07
      18.   REMOVE the Settlements OR No Peace 13:58  |  POP 19/11/07
      19.   PM: We`ll freeze settlements, remove outposts 14:02  |  Veritas 19/11/07
      20.   Mouth moving, no action 14:04  |  follower for years 19/11/07
      21.   How many years? 14:05  |  Mark Lincoln 19/11/07
      22.   Would YOU buy a used car from this man? 14:11  |  Clickfool 19/11/07
      23.   @Hastaroth and Anuar Al Sadat 14:15  |  Anton 19/11/07
      24.   Olmert did NOT say he will freeze settlements... 14:23  |  Anton 19/11/07
      25.   Misleading Headline 14:32  |  Anton 19/11/07
      26.   Would not buy a new one from you, ClickFOOL #22 15:02  |  Jonathan S 19/11/07
      27.   Palestinian terror financed by the EU 15:03  |  Jonathan S 19/11/07
      28.   He is out of his mind 15:06  |  ralphsrant1 19/11/07
      29.   How many years? redux 15:32  |  Joe Sittizen 19/11/07
      30.   HOW MANY TIMES DID WE HEAR THIS BEFORE..AND NO ACTION!!! 15:33  |  TrippleJump 19/11/07
      31.   THIS GOV`T MUST BE DISSOLVED NOW! YISHAI, LIBERMAN, YOU STILL IN? 15:35  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      32.   stop me from laughing ... 15:46  |  . 19/11/07
      33.   Olmert you are already History ! 15:54  |  Michael 19/11/07
      34.   Freeze settlement and remove outposts 16:19  |  Brod 19/11/07
      35.   Israel is negotiating from a strong position... 16:23  |  Igor D. 19/11/07
      36.   jewish state and banana republics 16:31  |  goldman 19/11/07
      37.   To Erekat`s `All or Nothing` statement 16:33  |  Jon 19/11/07
      38.   Note to Olmert: Brief me 6 months after this takes effect 16:36  |  Natallie Durson 19/11/07
      39.   Let`s see some movement here... 16:46  |  R 19/11/07
      40.   Olmert knows the Palestinians will shoot themselves in the foot 16:47  |  xc 19/11/07
      41.   concessinons 16:52  |  marcel 19/11/07
      42.   Livni seems to have a brain 16:53  |  Danite 19/11/07
      43.   settlement size leaves room for thousands 16:58  |  Shelley 19/11/07
      44.   chilling effects from the big freeze.... 16:59  |  sptz 19/11/07
      45.   BY THE HAND OF G-D THERE WILL BE NO STOPPING US! 17:06  |  FREE SPEECH ANYONE? 19/11/07
      46.   REMOVE TERRORISTS/MURDERERS/OCCUPIERS OF JEWISH LAND 17:07  |  WARRIOR 19/11/07
      47.   Yishai Kohen 17:08  |  alan 19/11/07
      48.   What negotiations? 17:10  |  Sam 19/11/07
      49.   REVOLUTION IN THE AIR...WHO CAN STOP THE JEWISH PEOPLE? 17:10  |  WARRIOR 19/11/07
      50.   To Warrior#48... WE WILL STOP YOU 17:16  |  ANOTHER WARRIOR 19/11/07
      51.   REMOVE TERRORIST SETTLERS FROM STOLEN LAND 17:17  |  Warrior 19/11/07
      52.   Why can`t the leaders speak? Israel has a strong case! 17:23  |  Tim 19/11/07
      53.   Alan In Toronto 17:27  |  Yishai Kohen 19/11/07
      54.   Durson 38 17:31  |  Sabra 19/11/07
      55.   Help!! 17:32  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/07
      56.   settlement freeze 17:33  |  happysettler 19/11/07
      57.   Yishai Kohen talks tough 17:35  |  Danite 19/11/07
      58.   the beginning... 17:36  |  S 19/11/07
      59.   #8 Joseph E Givatayim 17:37  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/07
      60.   #1 Axel 17:39  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/07
      61.   TO WANNABE warrior:MESS WITH THE BULL AND YOU GET THE HORNS!! 17:53  |  WARRIOR 19/11/07
      62.   Let me translate 17:59  |  Linguist 19/11/07
      63.   What`s the problem, ben jabber? 18:01  |  Axel 19/11/07
      64.   Concerning the Roadmap: Now bad even for Israel 18:09  |  Tosefta 19/11/07
      65.   Missing an Opportunity? 19:05  |  Jimmi G 19/11/07
      66.   #63 Axel - you`re the problem, or one of them 19:16  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/07
      67.   Axelchen,had your people continued shooting at Allies after the 20:02  |  Absolute Sweden 19/11/07
      68.   Danite: It`s Really Quite Simple- No Need For Your Tizzy 20:04  |  Yishai Kohen 19/11/07