Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday called off a
summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, seeking commitments
Israel will release frozen Palestinian funds and take other
steps.
"Abbas will not meet Olmert unless he responds to Palestinian
demands, or at least some of these demands," Palestinian Foreign
Minister Ziad Abu Amr said.
Olmert and Abbas had been due to meet in Jericho today for what
would have been their first encounter in the occupied West Bank,
reviving US-brokered talks that are supposed to focus on aspects of
Palestinian statehood.
Olmert told British Prime Minister Tony Blair by telephone "it
was the Palestinians who had requested the postponement for their
own reasons", Olmert's office said. Government spokesman David
Baker said Olmert was ready to meet Abbas at "any time".
Both sides have been haggling over proposed Israeli
confidence-building measures, including release of Palestinian tax
funds Israel has withheld since Islamist Hamas came to power in
2006 and an easing of travel restrictions in the West Bank.
Olmert has been under heavy US pressure to make gestures that
could strengthen Abbas' secular Fatah faction in its power struggle
with Hamas, which leads a Palestinian unity government.
Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide, said the Palestinians wanted word
from Israel it would free up the tax revenues, estimated by
Palestinian officials at some US$700 million.
"We are not setting conditions but these are points that should
be agreed upon (before the meeting)," he said.
Ahead of the planned talks, Olmert's office signalled a
willingness to transfer at least some of the funds, although not
the full amount sought by the Palestinians.
Israeli officials estimate only US$300 million to US$400 million
could be transferred to the Palestinians because the rest of the
money has been frozen by court orders.
The officials said any transfers would have to go through a
mechanism to ensure money did not end up Hamas hands. Abbas' aides
say all the money should be returned without conditions.
Abu Amr said Abbas and Olmert would both attend a meeting in
Cairo of the Quartet of Middle East mediators on June 25, but he
did not say whether they would meet there. Olmert's office said no
invitation has been extended to the Israeli leader.
Olmert also signaled ahead of the planned summit he would not
accept Abbas' call for a truce with militants in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank.
Israel stepped up its military operations in Gaza last month in
response to a surge in rocket attacks against Israeli towns.
Israeli forces killed two Palestinians Wednesday, including one
in the West Bank, and Hamas fired mortar bombs at an Israeli-run
border crossing with Gaza.
Olmert has been under US pressure to make progress in talks with
Abbas ahead of the Israeli leader's visit to Washington on June
19.
(China Daily via agencies June 7, 2007)
