Olmert, Abbas to Meet Again Within Weeks

By JAMAL HALABY

PETRA, Jordan – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met at an informal breakfast in Jordan on Thursday, embracing and shaking hands and pledging to meet again within weeks.

The Israel leader, however, cautioned that serious negotiations were unlikely until the Hamas-led Palestinian government recognized Israel.

It was the first meeting between top Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a year, though Olmert and Abbas both said they had been in regular contact by telephone.

"I think that Abu Mazen is a genuine person and he comes here with good intentions," Olmert said after the breakfast, using the name Abbas is commonly known by. "But to the best of my knowledge, he is not the prime minister of the Palestinian authority."

Olmert said the Palestinian government was "controlled by a terrorist group" and was "boycotted by the entire world."

The two leaders shook hands, embraced and kissed each other on the cheek. Asked about his handshake with Olmert, Abbas said, "It was very warm, very warm."

The Palestinian president expressed a desire to meet again, and one of his top aides said a summit could occur within two weeks.

"There is the idea to prepare for another meeting in the future," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, adding that Abbas was awaiting word from Israel about when and where to schedule the meeting. "Supposedly it would be in the coming two weeks."

"From Olmert’s first day in office, we informed them that we are ready for negotiations," he added.

Leaving the meeting, Olmert nodded to reporters when asked if he would meet Abbas again.

The breakfast was hosted by Jordanian King Abdullah II in Petra, a 2,000-year-old city carved into the country’s rose-red mountains.

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Associated Press Writer Aron Heller contributed to this story from Petra, Jordan.