Abbas, Bush to meet in Washington October 20

A senior U.S official said on Wednesday that the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will visit Washington October 20, 2005, in order to meet with the US President George W. Bush.

The two are scheduled to discuss ways to resume the peace process after Israel completed its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, said that a meeting between Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister has been cancelled since it had a little prospect for progress.

Also, Erekat called on Sharon to resume talks with Abbas, and “praised” him for withdrawing from Gaza.

“Now it is the time to return to the negotiating table”, Erekat said.

Also, Erekat condemned the killing of the Israeli man who was abducted by Hamas last week.

 

“Such acts do not serve any purpose”, he said, “They just add fuel to the fire of violence”.

Erekat added that in spite that the Palestinian Authority has failed so far to disarm the resistance, but it’s still the responsibility of the P.A to do so, “and I hope we stand to it”.

According to the Israeli radio, Israeli Justice Minister, Tzipi Livni, called of a Wednesday meeting with Sufian Abu Zaida, P.A minister for Prisoner Affair, after the Israeli man was killed.