Abbas calls negotiations with Israel ‘successful’

Borders a key issue
Israeli media have reported that the sides have already begun tackling the central issues. An Olmert confidant, Vice Premier Haim Ramon, has offered a pullout from almost all of the West Bank in talks with Fayyad on a final-status peace deal, according to the reports. The Palestinians say there were no such talks.

The key issues are borders, which would require an Israeli pullback from at least parts of the West Bank, the dispute over control of Jerusalem and a solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Mideast war that followed Israel's creation.

Analysts question whether either Olmert or Abbas is strong enough politically to make the concessions that would be needed for agreements on those issues.

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians demand a total pullout, but Israel insists on adjustments.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected in the region next week for talks to prepare for the November conference. Olmert and Abbas are scheduled to meet every two weeks leading up to the conference.

The "Quartet" of Mideast mediators — the U.S., EU, Russia and U.N. — is to convene in Washington later his month and meet Arab League representatives, who have been promoting an Arab plan for a comprehensive peace with Israel.

High public opinion of Abbas
The Monday summit came alongside some good news for Abbas — a poll showing that nearly three-quarters of Palestinians oppose the Hamas takeover of Gaza.

The survey also said that if presidential elections were held today, Abbas would win with 59 percent of the vote, compared with 36 percent for Haniyeh. Past surveys showed them virtually tied.

The poll was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, an independent think tank based in Ramallah. The agency questioned 1,270 Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem between Sept. 6-8, and the survey quoted a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

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