Israel, Palestinians in talks over Abbas visit to Temple Mount

[bemildred]

Several interesting bits, excerpted. Perhaps the most important
thing about Abbas is that he is "not Arafat."

Israeli and Palestinian officials have been meeting over the past few days to discuss the possibility of allowing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to make an election campaign visit to East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount next week. The visit would come several days before the January 9 elections in the Palestinian Authority.

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The decision to allow Abbas into Jerusalem is in the hands of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. If the election jaunt is authorized at the political level, this would be the first visit in Jerusalem of a Palestinian personality of Abbas' level.

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Al-Aqsa Brigades commander Zubeidi told Channel 10 TV news that "we are not talking about the end of the intifada, not about a cease-fire and not about an end to terror attacks."

Regarding the wanted militants, Abbas said "they are neither criminals nor murderers. Rather they are fighting for the honorable lives of their Palestinians brothers."

Haaretz