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PM Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas meeting ahead of talks in the West Bank city of Jericho on Monday. (GPO)
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PM: Israel, PA to expand talks on establishing Palestinian state as soon as possible
By Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at a meeting in the West Bank on Monday he would push for the establishment of a Palestinian state as "fast as possible."

In a Jericho meeting with the PA chairman, Olmert refrained from setting a schedule, but said statehood would be achieved by adherence to the internationally brokered road map to Middle East peace, and through mutual understanding.

"We have decided to expand the scope of the negotiations between us in order to advance mutual understanding and formulate the framework that will allow us to move forward toward establishing a Palestinian state," Olmert said.

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Monday's meeting marked the first time an Israeli prime minister has visited the Palestinian Authority since the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000. The meeting took place under heavy security.

Palestinian Presidential Guard officials and Shin Bet security service VIP officers held a number of meetings in recent days to lay the groundwork for the security at this historical meeting.

While Olmert did not present a timetable, he declared that he has no intention to stall for time on the issue of Palestinian statehood.

"Our mutual goal is to realize the shared vision between us and [U.S. President George] Bush regarding the establishment of two states for two peoples who live side by side in security and peace. We want to achieve this as soon as possible," Olmert added.

Olmert also mentioned that the basis for negotiations "will continue to be the road map, which is acceptable to both sides." The prime minister was referring to a peace plan proposed by the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators - the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia - that calls for an independent Palestinian state.

During the meeting between the two leaders, Abbas told Olmert that Israel's release of the 255 Palestinian prisoners last month had a positive effect on the Palestinian people, and requested the release of additional prisoners in the coming weeks. Olmert said he would consider Abbas' request.

Abbas also called on Olmert to allow the return to the West Bank of militants whom Israel deported in 2002. The militants, who had barricaded themselves in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem five years ago, were told they would be arrested if they returned to the West Bank, and consequently dispersed in Gaza and Europe. Olmert agreed to consider this request as well.

Both sides agreed the meeting had been constructive, but made no announcements of significant progress.

"Abbas did not come to the meeting with a magic wand, and neither did Mr. Olmert," Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said at a post-meeting press conference.

"There is an agreement on a series of meetings to discuss the issues, including the establishment of a Palestinian state," he added.

David Baker, an Olmert spokesman, said the leaders did not discuss the core issues of the conflict or conduct negotiations.

"Both sides decided to expand the contents of their discussions in order to advance the understandings ... to allow further progress to be made for the establishment of a Palestinian state," Baker said.

"I came here in order to discuss the fundamental issues outstanding between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, hoping that this will lead us soon into negotiations about the creation of a Palestinian state," Olmert said at the outset of the talks earlier Monday.

The aim of the meeting between the two was to prepare for a U.S.-led regional summit on peace between Israel and the Palestinians to be held in Washington in November.

"The purpose is to achieve the maximum possible mutual understandings on a two-state solution prior to the summit in the fall and in a way that will not endanger the entire process," a senior political source in Jerusalem said Sunday. The aim is to stabilize Abbas' rule in the West Bank so that the PA will be able to carry out its commitments, particularly on the security front.

Abbas and Olmert picked up where their previous talks, initiated at their meeting in Jerusalem two weeks ago, left off. The talks focused on an "agreement of principles."

Baker said the meeting was a signal of Israeli good will, adding that Olmert intended for it to be a productive meeting to enable progress with the Palestinians.

Both sides said ahead of the talks that the meeting would also deal with easing daily life in the West Bank, including the removal of some of the checkpoints erected after the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000.

The meeting between the two leaders was restricted to the press and photographs were allowed only at the beginning.

Fayad: PA not ready to assume security control

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad told senior Israeli officials during recent meetings that the Palestinian Authority's security organizations are unable to assume security control of cities in the West Bank. Fayad said that the PA's security forces are unable "to impose law and order in the West Bank at this time."

During meetings with senior Israeli officials, the interim Palestinian prime minister and his interior minister, Abd al-Razek al-Yihiya, made it clear that the PA's security cannot at this time assume control of West Bank cities.

Among those to whom this message was conveyed recently was Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin.
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  1.   Dont Lie Fayyad the PA police can control the West Bank!!!!!!!!!! 04:11  |  ALI 06/08/07
  2.   so deja-vu ! 04:12  |  David James Vickery 06/08/07
  3.   Hamas is the Enemy 04:49  |  Eli 06/08/07
  4.   2 states solution equal holocaust , End arabs occupation 04:50  |  Joseph E . 06/08/07
  5.   Wait a Minute 05:21  |  Eli 06/08/07
  6.   Zionism created this mess 05:25  |  Rachel Corrie 06/08/07
  7.   Condoleezza Rice`s joke 06:03  |  Shalom 06/08/07
  8.   Fayad is ignorant 06:32  |  ٍSalem 06/08/07
  9.   #6 Rachael 06:35  |  Joel Weltman 06/08/07
  10.   I find it curious that my prior response has not appeared 06:38  |  Mark Lincoln 06/08/07
  11.   The proper response to the lack of ability of the Palestinian 07:30  |  Asaf Noyman 06/08/07
  12.   What??? 07:57  |  Benny 06/08/07
  13.   Take Kadima Down, Vote for Jewish State Destiny by Settlers Gov`t 08:05  |  Joseph E . 06/08/07
  14.   Mark Lincoln here is why 08:09  |  Danite 06/08/07
  15.   Arabised Kadima is damaging Jewish State Democracy 08:17  |  Joseph E . 06/08/07
  16.   Peace can only possible between two strong adverceries!! 08:24  |  Al F Kemal 06/08/07
  17.   Abbas said it openly 08:39  |  Utubia 06/08/07
  18.   #7, Shalom 08:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/08/07
  19.   Are any of aware of what is happening to women in Gaza? 08:58  |  Judith, Haifa 06/08/07
  20.   Hamas = Fatah = Jihad = Hezbollah = PRC = etc = Amalek! 09:40  |  Uzi 06/08/07
  21.   To Judith of Haifa 09:43  |  Suddenly 06/08/07
  22.   FORCED CONVERSION BY HAMAS 09:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/08/07
  23.   #18, Ms Kohn 10:01  |  Hannah 06/08/07
  24.   If PA cannot control security, what for does the world need PA? 10:02  |  Vittorio 06/08/07
  25.   #19, Judith 10:03  |  Hannah 06/08/07
  26.   David James Vickery-# -Deja vu:you`ll never support peace 10:05  |  Daniel Leopold 06/08/07
  27.   Read between the lines 10:10  |  Clickfool 06/08/07
  28.   What he REALLY MEANS 10:10  |  Cynical 06/08/07
  29.   Cause and Effect 10:11  |  Burkhardt 06/08/07
  30.   36 ZIONISM IS 3000 YEARS OLD GHOST 10:13  |  paul harris 06/08/07
  31.   Judith from Haifa 10:14  |  Daniel Leopold 06/08/07
  32.   A TYPICAL TRAITOR 10:14  |  indrajaya 06/08/07
  33.   Ha`Aretz Judith #19 is 100% correct 10:16  |  Ari ben Yisrael 06/08/07
  34.   DJ VICKERY So deja vu indeed,your backhand threatening Israel 10:20  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  35.   #23, Hannah, do not gloat 10:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/08/07
  36.   Judith 10:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/08/07
  37.   arab Hannah 10:28  |  Hannah 06/08/07
  38.   To Ari ben Yisrael 10:30  |  DidYouEver 06/08/07
  39.   #33, Ari ben Yisrael 10:34  |  Burkhardt 06/08/07
  40.   #18 False Hannah Alert 10:38  |  Bill 06/08/07
  41.   Fayad 10:40  |  iletzter 06/08/07
  42.   Maybe Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah in 11:04  |  Uzi 06/08/07
  43.   To everyone: my source is Suliman Ashafi of the 2nd channel news 11:08  |  Judith, Haifa 06/08/07
  44.   give em a few sling shots israel, will ya 11:20  |  VIPER 06/08/07
  45.   #3, ELI, stupid as usual 11:23  |  VIPER 06/08/07
  46.   "SUDDENLY"Moslem women get more respect" does that include- 11:28  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  47.   To Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:38  |  Convert 06/08/07
  48.   Our Authoritative Experts Scholars Winograde Judges 11:42  |  Joseph E . 06/08/07
  49.   Ah Cluck Fool: such 11:44  |  Star of David 06/08/07
  50.   ALERT= FAKE INDRAJAYA 32 11:44  |  Indrajaya 06/08/07
  51.   Haaretz, are you afraid to post my reply about the source? 11:49  |  Judith, Haifa 06/08/07
  52.   BURKHARDT.No when the Pals had ALL their armies they did not stop 11:51  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  53.   # 45, FAKE INDRAJAYA 11:57  |  indrajaya 06/08/07
  54.   CONVERT.If its all so wonderful,why is Apostasy ie leaving Islam 12:27  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  55.   #51, PETER SM 12:47  |  Burkhardt 06/08/07
  56.   # 53 Fake Indrajaya 13:29  |  Indajaya 06/08/07
  57.   Convert 13:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/08/07
  58.   43Judith,funny,but I saw a report shortly after the June takeover 13:49  |  lakshmi 06/08/07
  59.   11 ASAF GOOD thought, but... 13:59  |  ORLANDO 06/08/07
  60.   To Judith of Haifa 14:00  |  WrongAnswer 06/08/07
  61.   Suddenly the BBC no longer has daily reports from Gaza.AFP? etc.? 14:06  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  62.   BURKHARDT.when Arafat called his intifada his troops participated 14:29  |  PETER SM 06/08/07
  63.   Vittorio - exactly 14:49  |  Mark Lincoln 06/08/07
  64.   #6 Rachel Corrie - The bulldozer is waiting 4U 14:57  |  * BEN JABO 06/08/07
  65.   #40 Burkhardt 15:05  |  * BEN JABO 06/08/07
  66.   To Margie in Tel Aviv 15:07  |  Convert 06/08/07
  67.   ROADMAP HAS FAILED 15:08  |  Ian 06/08/07
  68.   #44 VIPER 15:09  |  * BEN JABO 06/08/07
  69.   When we gain power, we will jail Olmert for his crimes 15:09  |  Manhigut Yehudit 06/08/07
  70.   Burkhardt, Berlin 15:22  |  17 06/08/07
  71.   Convert,Wrong Answer,do read my post 58& Cipora K.& Judith; 15:43  |  lakshmi 06/08/07
  72.   # 47Convert, Congratulations 15:45  |  17 06/08/07
  73.   OLMERT WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT OF TORROR STATE 15:51  |  Brian 06/08/07
  74.   Israel is definitely not serious! Just playing Abbas for a fool! 15:53  |  Toronto`s Finest 06/08/07
  75.   For Joseph E #4 15:56  |  Esther 06/08/07
  76.   For PM Ehud Olmert...... 16:04  |  Esther 06/08/07
  77.   no security...NO state 16:06  |  real vision 06/08/07
  78.   Convert and Conversion to Islam 16:20  |  CHGODMK 06/08/07
  79.