Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will try to draw up a document of understandings with the Palestinians to present to Washington before his party names his successor, Israeli officials said yesterday.
Olmert was to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who had been cool to the idea of any partial agreement, later yesterday, two days after the Israeli leader was questioned again by police in a corruption scandal forcing him from office.
Olmert’s Kadima party will hold an election on Sept. 17 to replace him and he has said he would resign after the ballot, although he could stay on as caretaker prime minister for weeks or months.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the front-runner, has cautioned against papering over differences with Abbas in talks and rushing towards an accord. Her comments have been echoed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Israeli officials confirmed media reports that Olmert wanted to compile with Abbas over the next two weeks a document of understandings that would serve as a framework for a peace deal.
Olmert and Abbas would aim to take the paper to Washington so that US President George W. Bush — who has voiced optimism he could leave office with an Israeli-Palestinian agreement — could announce a deal, one official said.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, an aide to Abbas, said it was “premature to speak about a document.”
He said “the differences on the core issues are still very wide.”
Olmert spokesman Mark Regev, while acknowledging that Israel would press on with efforts “to reach a historic” agreement, said he was not aware of any time limit.
Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei have been leading their respective negotiating teams since the peace process was formally relaunched under US auspices nine months ago.
Regev insisted Olmert’s early departure from office would not interfere with the talks.
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