Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli PM Olmert agreed on removing the military checkpoints in the West Bank within one week and to handle the case of the Nativity Church Deportees. Dr. Saeb Erekat, Head of the Negotiations Affairs Department in the PLO, said they started to talk about finding a solution to settle the status of 54,280 Palestinians who reside in the West Bank and Gaza Strip without identity cards. This meeting between Abbas and Olmert at the Intercontinental Hotel in Jericho lasted three hours amid tight security measures in the presence of Erekat and Dr. Mohammed Mustafa, head of the Palestinian Investment Fund. Erekat said it was agreed in the meeting on the return of the deportees (who were sent to Gaza and foreign countries) to their homes. He added: We presented a lost of their names and President Abbas demanded solving their case like the case of the wanted men and it was agreed that the agreement reached with the wanted men would apply to the deportees. Erekat explained that the joint Palestinian-Israeli security committee will work on ending the file of the wanted men and deportees and removing the checkpoints within the next week or within the coming days. he said: There is agreement on holding a series of meetings and three meetings will be held to prepare for the international meeting to be held in the United States next fall but he pointed that the PA and the Arab parties believe that the basic pillar of the peace process is the Arab Peace Initiative towards establishing a comprehensive peace. He added: We don’t want new initiatives. What is important is to end the Israeli occupation and what we want from the international meeting in New York is mechanisms and a timetable to end the occupation and establish the independent Palestinian state. Erekat said: President Abbas affirmed to Olmert that he is in charge of the political negotiations in his capacity as Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and that the PM and the Council of Ministers are in charge of the security, economic, external and financial issues. President Abbas also stressed on the need to halt all settlement activities and stop the status quo policies in order to give peace a chance. They agreed on continuing with the bilateral meetings. President Abbas also stressed on the need for Israel to continue to allow food and medicine into Gaza Strip and to allow the Tawjihi students from Gaza Strip to travel freely and join universities in the West Bank and also on the case of Hajj pilgrims who plan to travel, pointing that these will be discussed in the specialized committees.

Olmert said as Abbas was standing next to him at the start of the talks: I came here to discuss with you the basic outstanding issues between Israel and the PA and I hope that this would lead us soon to start negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israeli and western officials said if Olmert and Abbas agree on the principles, they will be presented to the international conference in the United States. The western official said that Olmert and Abbas will form then working groups to start negotiations over the details.

Israeli officials said the agreement of principles will call on Israel to withdraw from around 90% of the Palestinian Territories.

Published at Al Quds NewsPaper on August 7, 2007