Meeting with Islamic and Christian religious leaders on the Id Ed-Fitr holiday, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) stated that if the new government implements the peace efforts in accordance with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s pre-Rosh Hashanah statements, peace could be achieved in two days.

The PA (Palestinian Authority) leader was referring to a pre-Yomtov interview by the outgoing prime minister to Yediot Achronot in which he stated he will making a statement that no prime minister before him made, expressing a willingness to withdraw from “most of the territories including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.”

Following his recent return from Washington, Abbas described his meeting with outgoing US President George W. Bush as productive. He added the US president was hopeful that he will celebrate the establishment of a Palestinian state in the coming year.

Abbas also stated that if peace is implemented, he hopes neighboring Arab nations will move to establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)