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Letter to the editor

Olmert seeks to boost Abbas

The Israeli makes concessions in talks with the Palestinian.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 26, 2007

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Israel's prime minister promised Monday to free 250 Palestinian prisoners and promised to improve life in the West Bank in an attempt to boost Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas' takeover in Gaza.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made the pledges at a summit in this Egyptian Red Sea resort with Abbas and the leaders of Egypt and Jordan.

The Arab leaders hope the high-profile gathering can lead to a resumption of the long-blocked peace process, rally Palestinian support behind Abbas and isolate Hamas after the Islamic militant group's stunning and bloody victory in Gaza.

Hamas' new power has raised fears the Mediterranean coastal strip will become a breeding ground for extremism, and a series of messages released by militants ahead of the summit underlined the turmoil.

Hamas-linked militants holding an Israeli soldier for the past year released an audiotape of him urging Israel to strike a deal for his release. A British journalist kidnapped in Gaza appeared in a video wearing an explosives belt that his captors threatened to detonate if security forces try to free him. And al-Qaida's deputy leader tried to woo Hamas into an alliance and called on Muslims to attack American and Israeli interests.

Abbas told the Sharm el-Sheik gathering, "It is time to relaunch the peace process" to tackle the toughest, central issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Olmert did not promise an immediate resumption of peace negotiations but said the steps he was announcing aimed to prepare the ground for them.

"I don't intend to let this opportunity pass, " the Israeli said, adding that he "told Abbas that we will work with the new government and maintain frequent meetings with it."

[Last modified June 26, 2007, 00:40:36]