President Abbas meets with Olmert in Jerusalem

Sunday August 31, 2008 09:05 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, will be meeting in Jerusalem Sunday for talks over contentious outstanding negotiations issues.

Their meeting follows a visit by U.S Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, last week, as negotiations teams of both sides will be part of such an expected meeting, Israeli radio reported.

The radio pointed out that the teams will be discussing the possibility of releasing more Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, after Israel had released 198 prisoners in the past few days, in what Israel said a 'gesture of good-will towards President Mahmoud Abbas'.

According to senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Eriqat, President Abbas will request Olmert to allow the return back of the Church of Nativity's deportees, who Israel expelled to the Gaza Strip and abroad in 2002.

Also, Eriqat added that the president will be demanding the release of Palestinian juvenile, women and elderly, who are being jailed in Israel.

These prisoners include, Marwan Barghouthi, a prominent Fatah leader and a lawmaker, head of the Palestinian parliament, Aziz Dwaik of Hamas, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmad Sa'adat and former chief of PA's security services finance department, Foaud aL-Shubaki.

Abbas-Olmert meetings come in the backdrop of Palestinian division between Gaza and the West Bank , as Israel imposes a blockade on the Gaza's Hamas ruling party, as well as corruption charges against PM Olmert, who is set to resign from post.

palestine | peace process | news report rami at imemc dot org