PM Olmert with Abbas
Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO
Abbas postpones meeting with Olmert
Abbas delays meeting scheduled for Monday due to Israel's internal political situation. 'If leaders meet, it might look like we're intervening in Israeli internal affairs,' says aide
A meeting scheduled next week between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been postponed, Abbas aides said on Saturday.
The two leaders were due to meet on Monday to discuss the peace negotiations, but the Palestinians said they delayed the talks because Israel was preoccupied with internal politics.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the meeting was postponed but did not say if it had been rescheduled.
"If the two leaders meet, it might look like we're intervening in Israeli internal affairs. We don't want that," a senior Abbas aide told Reuters.
In an interview last month, Olmert said Israel should withdraw from nearly all territory captured in the 1967 war in return for peace with the Palestinians and Syria. Abbas had said he hoped to discuss the offer with Olmert.
