By Xinhua,
Jerusalam : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert requested Friday for a meeting between him and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in coming days, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website.
Olmert’s office made the request as the premier will leave for Washington on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain.
The meeting invitation to Abbas is likely to try to ease Palestinians’ concern as Abbas has expressed his fear that the current political crisis in Israel will harm the ongoing peace negotiations between the Jewish state and his Palestinian National Authority (PNA), said the daily.
The Palestinian side has also expressed hope that any agreement with the Olmert government will be honored by the next government in case of elections, it added.
Referring to the ongoing corruption investigation against Olmert, Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister and a senior member of the ruling Kadima party, said Thursday that the party is at a point at which it must make decisions and prepare for any scenario, including early elections.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak called on Olmert to step aside over corruption allegations or resign, warning that if Olmert does not quit, Labor Party will move towards early elections.
In response to Barak’s call, Olmert said Wednesday evening that he will continue to function as prime minister and will not step down despite ongoing bribery investigation against him.
Jewish American businessman Morris Talansky, the key witness in Olmert bribery case, told a preliminary hearing at Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday that he gave Olmert envelopes of cash amounting to no less than 150,000 U.S. dollars over a 15-year period.