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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (photo: Flash90)
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| By Israel Insider staff August 29, 2007 |
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Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met yesterday for the second time this month in advance of this fall's planned Mideast peace summit, continuing talks that reportedly produced no concrete results, according to the Jerusalem Post. Both leaders vehemently denied that they discussed the details of divisive issues like Jerusalem, borders and refugees.
"Today's meeting was good and thorough, but until now we haven't discussed any details related to the fundamental issues," chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "Nor have we reached the stage of exchanging documents. We did not hand over to the Israelis any written document. Likewise, we did not receive from them anything in writing."
Recently there has been speculation that Olmert is offering to give the Palestinians Arab neighborhoods in the old city of Jerusalem, nearly 100 percent of the West Bank and the handing over of the Temple Mount and other religious sites in Jerusalem to a committee run by officials from the three religious. During yesterday's meeting, Olmert reportedly offered to give the PA control of Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah. However he has denied that talks have gotten that far.
Abbas also requested that Israel grant amnesty to 26 more militants, but this time, the militants are also from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the PFLP. Olmert is considering the request.
Erekat said that the majority of Palestinians would unlikely endorse an agreement that did not call for a full Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, including leaving east Jerusalem.
"The Palestinian leadership wants peace, but not at any price," Erekat said. "The peace we are seeking must be based on all the UN resolutions pertaining to the Israeli-Arab conflict, the Arab [League] peace plan of 2002, the road map and US President George W. Bush's vision for two states. Together, all these plans and resolutions will lead to an end of the Israeli occupation of all the territories that were occupied in 1967."
Settlers reacted angrily to reports on Tuesday that Olmert was talking with Abbas about withdrawing from Judea and Samaria and dividing Jerusalem.
"Nothing good can grow from this," said Dani Dayan, who chairs the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
Dayan contended that a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria would threaten Israel's existence, Dayan said. After all, how will it be possible to continue to strengthen Abbas once Israel has given up everything? Dayan asked. Such a state would only open the door for Hamas to wrest control of the West Bank much like it did in Gaza, he said.
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