Jerusalem, Oct 17: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert told Parliament on Monday that he was ready to meet with
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas "immediately" to discuss
the stalled Middle East peace process.
"I am ready to meet with him immediately if he wants to
talk about the roadmap," Olmert told the Knesset at the
opening of its winter session.
He was referring to a peace roadmap drafted by the
quartet of the United States, European Union, Russia and
United Nations that envisions an independent Palestinian
state living side by side in peace with Israel.
A day earlier, the Israeli leader said efforts to set up
a meeting with Abbas, whom he last met in an informal setting
in June, were at a dead end with the Palestinian President
conditioning such talks on the release of prisoners.
The Prime Minister on Monday drew a distinction between
the moderate Abbas and the radical Islamist movement Hamas,
which currently heads the Palestinian government and which
Israel considers a terrorist organisation.
"As long as Hamas does not recognise Israel, past
agreements and does not act to end terrorism, we will not
engage with it in dialogue. We will not renounce these
conditions," Olmert told Parliament.
The Prime Minister has said in the past that Israel will
not release any prisoners until an Israeli soldier captured by
Gaza-based militants, including those from the armed wing of
Hamas, in a cross-border raid on June 25 is released.
Bureau Report