MIDDLE EAST:Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met yesterday in Jerusalem with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert to examine ways to achieve a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
But the two men did not commence negotiations by discussing final status issues like the status of Jerusalem, borders and Palestinian refugees.
Instead they confined their agenda to confidence-building measures designed to shore up Mr Abbas, who is under severe challenge from Hamas, which rules Gaza, dividing the Palestinian people and territories.
Israel plans to bolster Mr Abbas through gestures such as handing over tax revenues, releasing 250 prisoners, mostly from Mr Abbas's Fatah faction, and halting missions against 178 wanted Fatah gunmen if they disarm and end attacks on Israel.
The final list of prisoners drawn up by Israel is set to be submitted to a ministerial committee today and prisoners could begin to be freed on Friday. Eighty-five per cent of the prisoners will be from Fatah and the rest from small, secular factions such as the Popular and Democratic Fronts. None will be from Hamas. Israel holds almost 40 Hamas legislators as well as hundreds of Hamas activists and fighters.
Saeb Erekat, a participant in yesterday's talks, said Mr Abbas urged Mr Olmert to release Marwan Barghouti, a popular Fatah grassroots leader who is seen as a possible successor to Mr Abbas. But Israel, which sentenced Mr Barghouti to five life terms of imprisonment, has firmly refused to contemplate his release, as well as that of other prisoners with Israeli "blood on their hands".
Mr Abbas also called on Israel to pull its troops out of the West Bank and end operations in population centres as a prelude to achieving a mutual ceasefire.
In an interview with the Israeli daily Haaretz, published ahead of the meeting, Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad warned that goodwill gestures are pointless unless they are accompanied by negotiations for a viable settlement.
Speaking on Mr Olmert's behalf, Miri Eisin said: "The Palestinians want to go a lot faster [ than the Israeli government]. The average Israeli would like to go a lot slower. We have to find something that is acceptable to both sides."
Hamas characterised the meeting as "shameful".