PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) announced over the weekend that he is working towards achieving an agreement before the end of US President George W. Bush’s term in office. The announcement comes ahead of Abu Mazen’s scheduled visit to Washington later this week.

Both Abu Mazen and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have stated that hope to reach an agreement before year’s end, as talks between Israeli and PA officials continue towards an interim agreement which would serve as a platform for a permanent accord.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)