Abbas to press Bush on settlements

Palestinian leader expected to ask Bush to push Israel to stop settlement construction, renew peace talks
By Ali Waked and Roee Nachmias

Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with President George W. Bush on Thursday. Abbas is expected to ask Bush to press Israel to implement the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan and halt all settlement construction in the West Bank.

Prior to his visit, Abbas announced that Palestinian regional elections, scheduled for July 17, would be postponed to November, a move that could enflame tensions between his Fatah faction and the terrorist group Hamas, expected to present a serious challenge to Fatah.

First visit in five years

Abbas' visit marks the first by a Palestinian leader to the White House in more than five years. The United States and Israel shunned the late Yasser Arafat, who visited in 1999, after the start of the al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000.

Abbas and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a "period of calm" in February aimed at ending the uprising and the Palestinian leader secured a de facto truce with sone terrorist groups, including Hamas, in March.

'Stick seriously to the road map'

Abbas plans to ask Bush to push Israel to carry out its obligations as stated in the peace plan, such as freezing all construction of settlements. Israel plans to evacuate all 21 Jewish enclaves in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank this summer while strengthening large West Bank settlement blocs, a move Bush has openly endorsed.

“We will continue to demand from the Americans to carry out their duty, which is to stick seriously to the road map,” Abbas told Qatar-based al-Jazeera television. “This means not making promises at the expense of negotiations or a permanent agreement, supporting the Palestinian Authority and the peace process until the end.”

Sharon, who met with Jewish leaders and groups in Washington and New York earlier this week, reaffirmed on Monday his long-standing position that Israel will not renew talks on any final peace deal with the Palestinians until Abbas reins in terrorists and dismantles their organizations.

Palestinian elections postponed

Prior to his departure to the United States, Abbas announced the postponement of a parliamentary ballot, scheduled for July 17, to November. Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, plans to contest the elections for the first time and is expecting to make a strong showing, as it did in municipal elections in Gaza in the past few months.

As expected, the terrorist group criticized the delay, which will give Abbas more time to implement reforms within his government, as demanded by Israel and dictated by the road map, and possibly garner more votes among Palestinians who have accused it of corruption and have started supporting terrorist factions since the start of the uprising.

Hamas spokesman Mohammed Ghazal told the Associated Press that Abbas, in return for the delay, promised to back an amendment to the election system that could favor the armed group. Hamas wants half of the legislators to be chosen in district elections and half from party slates.

The group has also threatened to break an "period of calm" with Israel and resume large-scale attacks unless Fatah withdraws a legal challenge to results in three Gaza towns that the terrorist group emerged victorious.

Israel is concerned Hamas will try to seize control of the territory after Israel completes its withdrawal, set to begin in August. As a result, Egypt has been training Palestinian security officers and Israeli officials have been trying to coordinate some parts of the withdrawal with Palestinian officials.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report