PM Olmert and PA Chairman Abbas to meet next week
Olmert spokeswoman: It's important to keep up meetings in order to keep open channel of communication.
By The Associated PressPrime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will meet next week for their second summit in a month for talks that will focus on humanitarian matters rather than the core issues of the Mideast dispute, an Olmert aide said Tuesday.
"We expect them to meet next week, although an exact date has yet to be set," Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said. "It's important to keep up with these meetings in order to keep open the channel of communication."
The two leaders met Feb. 19 along with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The Israeli daily Maariv said the coming meeting would be one-on-one, with Rice possibly coming later in March for separate meetings with the leaders.
Maariv said Olmert would try to strengthen personal ties with the Abbas, while seeking to persuade him to back off his newly-forged alliance with the militant Hamas.
Last month's summit produced few results, amid Israeli and U.S. concerns over the planned coalition government between Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas. Rice reported no progress in restarting talks on a final peace deal, the ostensible purpose of the meeting when it was announced.
Expectations plummeted after Abbas and Hamas agreed to a power-sharing deal that fell short of meeting international demands that it recognize Israel, accept previous peace deals and renounce violence. But in the coalition deal, Hamas only pledged to respect past peace agreements.
Despite the accord, Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh have so far failed to agree on the composition of a unity government, and fighting between the two sides has flared up again.
After an inconclusive session of talks Monday, Abbas and Haniyeh were expected to meet again Tuesday to discuss the crucial issue of who would be interior minister, which controls security forces.
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Unfortunetly for Isreal and her neighbours Isreal is only putting a theatrical act aimed at creating a division amongest the Palestinians.Wish Isreal meant real peace the longer they go on humulating and starving Palestinians to submission of their rights the further prospects of real peace and more anger and hatred towards Isreal
Olmert should be focussing on working to protect and defend Israel from Israel's pernicious enemies instead of meeting with the dark forces whose Charter calls for the destruction of Israel.
ok let me guess what they will say in the coming meeting...ummm ok, Olmert will say: I promiss Abasa that will free many, manyy Pals prisoners and also improve their lives and so on.
The agenda : BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.......
the world is slowing losing interest in these two extremist groups which is a good thing. At present they do are not fit to be classified as a civilized society and the world should perhaps check back in 5-10 years to see if they have progressed, even though it appears that they are moving backwards right now - burning books etc. France for example mouths meaningless phrases like 'we will try to help you" but these are the words of a soon to be if not already Islamic state. However France like the rest of the world has no real desire to pour tax money into a bottomless hole.
...even more important, will the people whom Abbas represents will either want or be able to carry out any decisions reached either during this coming meeting or any future decisions? The answer is boubtful. As of today, more than a year since Hamas has become the governing body of our neighbors it has not been willing, despite all the international preasure, to adhere to the three requirements of the international community which constitute a threshold for continuing any meaningful process of reconciliation. By now, it appears, Abbas also has caven in and is peddling the Hamas approach around the world on behalf of the Hamas government. Perhaps it is time to reexamine the fundamentals of the approach to peace making. Perhaps it is time to think in terms of reverting the Gaza Strip to Egypt and Judea-Samaria to Jordan while the population in these territories becoming citizens with full rights and obligations of the two countries respectively.
Atafat was a corrupt thief.......Where is a partner for negotiation? Is a "keeping channrl open" the only reason for contacts with ABBAS