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Israeli-Palestinian Summit Could Take Place by Year's End
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=156DAA4:A6F02AD83191E160D9998230A2F26C5D9574F7DCC14957C0 Plans for summit
coincide with escalation in Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza Strip
that are testing fragile cease-fire A rare summit between Israeli and
Palestinian leaders could take place in a few days. As Robert Berger
reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, plans for the meeting are going
ahead, despite a fresh wave of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel
from the Gaza Strip.







Mahmoud Abbas (16 Dec 2006)Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas says he hopes to hold a long-awaited summit with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert by the end of the year.

Mr. Abbas told a news conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah
that there has been progress in preparations for the meeting, which
would be the first since Mr. Olmert was elected in March.

Mr. Olmert will not deal with the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas
because it seeks Israel's destruction. But he supports President
Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, because he opposes the policies
of Hamas.







Ehud Olmert (File photo)"We want to negotiate with Abu Mazen, we will
be meeting with him, and I plan to see him and see what I can do to
help him," he said. 

Plans for the summit coincide with an escalation in Palestinian rocket
attacks from the Gaza Strip that are testing a fragile cease-fire. At
least 10 homemade Kassam rockets have been fired at Israel during the
past two days, but Mr. Olmert is opting for restraint.

"There was a cease-fire declared a month ago, and since then there
were 40 Kassam rockets shot from Gaza," he said. "And the shooting
continues and Israel did not respond even one time."

With rival Palestinian factions fighting each other in Gaza over the
past 10 days, officials say Israel does not want to exacerbate a
situation that is already chaotic and unstable.

Hamas and the rival Fatah faction, led by Mr. Abbas, agreed to a
cease-fire Tuesday in a bid to end the bloodshed that has raised fears
of a Palestinian civil war. That truce appears to be taking hold.

 


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