Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
September 16, 2008

Olmert, Abbas Set to Meet Tuesday for Peace Talks
-------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1E3822E:A6F02AD83191E1600A784F1A160614715C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Israeli prime minister, Palestinian president have met number of times
since US-sponsored peace talks were re-launched in November with goal of
resolving conflict by end of this year 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (L) shakes hands with Palestinian
president Mahmud Abbas (R) prior to a meeting in Jerusalem, 19 Feb
2008Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas plan to meet Tuesday for peace talks, a day before Mr. Olmert's
Kadima Party elects a new leader. The talks in Jerusalem will mark the
last meeting between the two leaders. Mr. Olmert has said he will step
down after his party holds an election Wednesday to replace him. He
faces corruption allegations that could lead to a criminal indictment.
Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas have met a number of times since U.S.-sponsored
peace talks were re-launched in November with the goal of resolving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the end of this year. But the two remain
divided on the core issues of the conflict. They include the status of
Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, Jewish settlements and the borders of a
future Palestinian state. On Sunday, Prime Minister Olmert told his
Cabinet that Israel must reach a peace deal with the Palestinians if it
wants to avoid becoming a bi-national state of Jews and Arabs. Mr.
Olmert said Sunday he once believed Israel had a historical right to all
of the West Bank but later realized that the land must be shared. He
says people who still believe in the concept of a "Greater Israel" are
deluding themselves. Last week, Mr. Abbas told an Israeli newspaper,
Ha'aretz, he doubts a peace deal will be reached by the end of 2008. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.