Abbas says Israel election result changes nothing

KHARTOUM, Mar 29: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today (Mar 29, 2006) said that the Israel election result would make no difference to the Palestinians unless interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert changed his policies.

''This result will not change (anything) as long as the agenda of Olmert himself does not change and he does not abandon the question of 'unilateral agreements','' Abbas told reporters in Khartoum.

Olmert declared victory today in the election, and pledged to pursue a plan to retain parts of the occupied West Bank holding large settlement blocs, give up areas holding isolated outposts and impose a border unilaterally on the Palestinians.

Abbas is in the Sudanese capital Khartoum for an Arab summit which renewed a previous Arab offer of peace with Israel in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from territory occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.

The summit also rejected unilateral steps by Israel, calling for a return to the multilateral peace negotiations under international supervision.

REUTERS