Abbas hopes for peace 'in a year'

27 July 2007

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has said he hopes to reach a comprehensive peace deal with Israel's government "within one year".

Mr Abbas also told Israel's Maariv newspaper that US President George W Bush wanted to see a Middle East peace accord before he leaves office in 2009.

A "final formula" would have to be agreed and a timetable set, he added.

The announcement came after a report in another Israeli newspaper outlined the terms of the possible peace offer.

Haaretz said on Wednesday that Israel was ready to offer the Palestinians a state in 90% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The proposal would also include a tunnel to link the two Palestinian territories, and a land-swap that would allow major Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank to become part of Israel.

'Final formula'

In the Maariv interview, Mr Abbas said the US was "determined to push the parties into reaching an agreement during President Bush's current term".

The timetable may be long, but what is important is for the Palestinians to know the final result, the end game, from the outset

Mahmoud Abbas

"I heard this in person from the president himself and from Secretary of State [Condoleezza] Rice," he said.

"We have to reach the final formula, the end game, and then think about the implementation and set a timetable for the implementation on the ground," Mr Abbas added.

"The timetable may be long, but what is important is for the Palestinians to know the final result, the end game, from the outset."

The Palestinian leader said he would insist on a number of principles for any final agreement, including a Palestinian state including pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The issue of Palestinian refugees would have to be resolved "in a fair and just way", he added.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared he had "started very seriously to talk with Mr Abbas on a peace process and questions which can allow a Palestinian state to be established".

Electoral changes

Mr Abbas also said that there was "a wish and a decision to have early elections" in the Palestinian Territories.

Presidential and legislative elections are not scheduled until 2010, but Mr Abbas and his Fatah movement have sought to sideline Hamas since the rival group seized control of Gaza in June.

In a separate interview with the Reuters news agency, Mr Abbas said he would soon issue a decree to change a rule that might make it more difficult for Hamas to repeat its landslide parliamentary election win of 2006.

The legislative poll would be contested only by nationwide party electoral lists, rather than by a combination of party lists and constituency seats, he said.

In the January 2006 poll, Hamas narrowly defeated Fatah in the nationwide vote, but secured twice as many seats due to greater success in winning constituencies.

Hamas, which was removed from power by Mr Abbas after ousting Fatah in Gaza, has insisted the president cannot call an election without the agreement of all factions.

Source