Abbas, Olmert to meet in Jericho
Palestinian source says leaders to meet in West Bank city on Monday, to discuss foundations of upcoming Mideast peace conference proposed by US President Bush
Ali Waked
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are scheduled to meet in Jericho on Monday, Abbas' aide said on Saturday.
The Prime Minister's Office reported that the two would meet next week, but said that the date and venue of the meeting were not yet determined.
The leaders will discuss for the first time the Mideast peace conference proposed by US President George Bush a few weeks ago, and according to the source, the Jericho meeting should lay the foundation for agreements the Palestinians wish to reach in the conference which should take place in the fall.
Fatah spokesman Yasser Abd Rabbo said that the final time and location of the meeting will be set later Saturday.
Over the past few days, the Palestinians and Israelis have been making preparations for the Olmert-Abbas meeting, and the last meeting that was also supposed to take place in Jericho in a show or reciprocity, was relocated to Jerusalem last minute due to security considerations.
The Palestinians expressed hope that this time "no Israeli demand to move the meeting elsewhere will pop up to," so as to strengthen mutuality between the parties.
In Olmert and Abbas' previous meeting, the possibility of allowing a Palestinian brigade from the Jordanian army to cross into the West Bank, and full security coordination with Israel, in order to prevent unilateral action in the West Bank, were brought up by Abbas.
Abbas, Olmert to meet in Jericho
