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Olmert and Abbas at the summit in Jerusalem, Sunday (photo: GPO)
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| By israelinsider staff March 12, 2007 |
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| (photo: GPO) |
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Jerusalem Sunday and agreed that the Saudi initiative would be the foundation for the talks that would eventually lead to the implementation of the US-sponsored Road Map.
The leaders did not agree on issues such as the right of return of Palestinians, Jerusalem, prisoner release, and the settlements -- the contentious issues that are major obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement. Olmert and Abbas plan to proceed in the diplomatic process according to the stipulations of the Road Map, in the hope that the controversial issues can be resolved along the way.
During the meeting yesterday, President Abbas put forward the Saudi initiative, which was accepted by the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002, for discussion.
Just hours earlier, Prime Minister Olmert expressed his support for the plan during a cabinet meeting, saying, "We have said more than once that the Saudi initiative is an issue that we would be willing to take seriously, and we have not changed our stance."
Abbas, for his part, expressed his full dedication to the Quartet conditions -- recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and terror, and holding to all past agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority -- provisions which were noticeably absent from the Mecca agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah.
Abbas also stated his commitment to President George W. Bush's Road Map.
According to Ynetnews, diplomatic sources said that in a recent meeting between Olmert and a senior European diplomatic source, the Israeli Prime Minister said that Israel's non-negotiable point in the Saudi initiative is the Palestinian refugees' right of return, which Israel will not agree to.
Ynetnews also reported that a Palestinian source said Abbas was optimistic about the future talks with Israel after Olmert gave guarantees to ease restrictions on the Palestinians.
The source said that despite difficultires, the two leaders agreed to continue talks, even if a Palestinian unity government is established.
The source claimed, "The Israelis promised to keep working with the president and promote matters, first and foremost is a line of concessions for the Palestinian public." |
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