GAZA CITY, 17 September 2006 — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with US President George W. Bush in New York next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said yesterday the meeting will take place Wednesday. On Monday, Abbas is to meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Erekat said.
Abbas will also meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in New York. The Abbas-Livni meeting will end a hiatus of more than six months in official ties between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,
The Israeli government cut nearly all contacts with the Palestinians after Hamas formed a government in March following its January parliamentary election victory.
Abbas, a moderate who leads the Fatah Party, and Hamas, which currently rules alone, agreed last week to form a so-called national unity government that would strive to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel — implying recognition of the Jewish state.
Abbas hopes such a government would restore international funding to the cash-starved Palestinian Authority. The foreign funding dried up after Hamas came to power.
However, the US has said it wants clearer statements from Hamas that it recognizes Israel, accepts existing peace deals and renounces violence.
But Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh reaffirmed yesterday that the political agenda of the unity government does not include the recognition of the Israeli occupation. In a statement, Haniyeh declared: “The National Accord document does not talk about the recognition of agreements signed with the Israeli occupation, but we are dealing with these agreements in order to serve the higher interests of the Palestinian people.”
Regarding the formation of the unity government, Haniyeh said: “I think there are things that must be resolved within the constitutional procedures.”
On Friday, the EU held off on renewing direct aid to the Palestinian Authority. EU ministers said they supported Abbas’ efforts to form a broader coalition, but wanted assurances the new government would back peace efforts.
— Additional input from agencies
