Abbas: Mid-East Deal is Far Off
According to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the nine months of peace talks with Israel have failed to reach any breakthroughs. The two sides had hoped to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year, but now that doesn’t seem probable. The core issues being discussed are the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state, settlements in the West Bank, refugees, security and water resources. Both sides agree that the gaps between them on the issues are very large, but Prime Minister Olmert of Israel says “important work has been done”. Mr. Olmert will step down as Prime Minister as soon as his party finds a replacement. However, Palestine has agreed to resume talks with his successor.
Jamie Hughes
