Israel's Olmert, Palestinians' Abbas Meet
An Israeli official says Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday discussed major issues dividing the two sides: final borders, Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, an Israeli official said.
It was the first time the two men discussed these matters in depth, the official said.
"These core issues have to be discussed on the way to finding a diplomatic solution of two states for two peoples," the official quoted Olmert as saying.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
Heading into the meeting, Abbas warned that a planned international peace conference later this year would be a "waste of time" if it failed to address the core issues of Palestinian statehood.
Israeli media report that in a meeting of advance teams, Israel offered to share control of the Temple Mount between the three major religions, give control of Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority, and allow the policing of major West Bank towns by the PA.
As Abbas entered the prime minister's house, he wrote in the guest book, "I hope and wish that peace between us will move forward."
In other developments:
President Bush has called for a Mideast peace conference, expected to take place in November, to advance a final Israeli-Palestinian accord.
Abbas and Olmert have been meeting regularly for several months, in an attempt to boost Abbas against Islamic Hamas militants who violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. So far, there have been few concrete results, with Israel preferring to focus on general outlines and the Palestinians pressing for detailed talks on the main issues.
"If there is a clear framework including final status issues, we will welcome this and go to the conference," Abbas told Voice of Palestine radio late Monday.
A successful outcome of the international conference is far from assured. The violent seizure of the Gaza Strip by Islamic Hamas militants in June created dueling governments, with Hamas ruling Gaza and Abbas loyalists in charge in the West Bank. Olmert, weakened by last summer's botched war against Lebanese guerrillas, might not be able to make the sweeping territorial concessions a final accord would demand.
On the other hand, prospects for peacemaking have been boosted by Abbas' expulsion of Hamas, which killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, from government. And the key players in this drama - Olmert, Abbas and President Bush - all appear to be hungry for some kind of diplomatic achievement.
"Ultimately, the Israeli government and the Palestinian government, we share a common view of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace," said Israel spokesman Mark Regev.
The U.S. has been prodding Israel and the Palestinians to make progress before the November conference. Olmert's office said Tuesday's meeting at the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem was part of an attempt to reach understandings before then.
Abbas and Olmert have been meeting regularly for several months, in an attempt to boost Abbas against Hamas. So far, there have been few concrete results, with Israel preferring to focus on general outlines and the Palestinians pressing for detailed talks on the main issues.
The Haaretz newspaper reported Tuesday that the two sides had agreed to set up negotiating teams to advance the talks.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were not public, said Olmert has agreed to include the issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem in the so-called declaration of principles. However, it was not clear in what way they would be included.
The biggest obstacles in past peace talks have been about what the final borders of a future Palestinian state would look like; whether Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation would be allowed to return to their homes along with their millions of descendants; and whether the holy city of Jerusalem could be shared.
Haaretz said Olmert would insist on adhering to the phased approach of the U.S.-sponsored "road map" peace plan of 2003, which called for the disbanding of Palestinian militant groups at the outset and the establishment of a Palestinian state in stages.
The road map foundered shortly after it was presented because both sides failed to carry out initial obligations.
The Abbas-Olmert meeting is taking place in the context of two important developments on Monday: The dramatic rescue of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian police and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's assertion that Israel would not be ready to make a large-scale pullback from the West Bank for 2 1/2 years, when a defense system against Palestinian rockets is expected to be in place.
His comments drew immediate fire from Palestinian officials.
"I find it very hard to comprehend such statements when the prime minister and the Palestinian president are doing their best in order to achieve the end game," meaning a peace agreement, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
But the rescue of the soldier, who the army said had stumbled into a West Bank militant stronghold, was expected to improve the atmosphere at the meeting.
Israelis said the rescue could be a sign Abbas is in firm control of the West Bank, despite losing Gaza to Hamas. Baker said Olmert expressed gratitude for the soldier's rescue to Abbas.
Without elaborating, Baker said the two men discussed ways to strengthen Abbas' security forces and plans to convene a committee of Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and U.S. security officials to examine ways to stanch weapons smuggling from Egypt.
Olmert told Abbas he would soon present a plan Israeli security officials are drawing up to permit greater freedom of movement within the West Bank, which is restricted by Israeli roadblocks, Baker said.
A joint Palestinian-Israeli economic council will be launched, apparently in October in Tel Aviv, in the presence of Olmert, Abbas and international Mideast envoy Tony Blair, he added.