Abbas says world must learn to live with Fatah-Hamas coalition

Washington and the international community will have to accept the new coalition between the Fatah movement and the Islamic militant Hamas, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told senior State Department official David Welch.

In the meeting at Abbas' headquarters, Welch reiterated Washington's insistence that the new coalition accept the conditions laid out by the Quartet of Mideast mediators - the US, EU, UN and Russia - that any Palestinian government recognize Israel, renounce violence and honor previous peace deals.

The new government's program falls short of US demands for explicit recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence, and contains only a vague promise to "respect" previous peace deals.

Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh quoted the Palestinian leader as telling the US envoy at talks in Ramallah that he had had no choice but to sign a power-sharing deal with Hamas last week during a meeting in Mecca, in hopes that it would end months of deadly factional fighting.

"President Abbas told David Welch that the Mecca agreement was the only possible agreement and the world must deal with it," Abu Rdeneh said.

As such, Abbas' statement indicates a potential obstacle in a three-way meeting Monday between Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, scheduled to take place on Monday.

Nonetheless, State Department officials are determined to push ahead with negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

A Palestinian official present at Saturday's meeting quoted Welch as saying that the US would reserve judgment until the new government is officially formed and its policies are clear.

Friday, Rice formally denied rumors that the White House had decided to shun the new Palestinian unity government. 

Based on the agreement with Abbas, the Hamas government resigned earlier this week and its prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, now has five weeks to form the new coalition.