http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5315834.stm
israeli prime minister ehud olmert wants to hold talks with palestinian prime minister mahmoud abbas once they finalize the exchange of prisoners. olmert says he wants to return to the road map for peace, which calls for palestinians and israelis both to stop violence against each other. it also calls for israel to stop building settlements, period. not, “build new settlements in ones you already say you’re keeping even though everyone else in the world except the US acknowledges that the original settlements were illegal to begin with”. not, “build new settlements in other parts of the west bank even though PM olmert has said he wants to unilaterally withdraw from the west bank”. no new settlements period. i doubt these new talks will amount to much, especially since abbas is not part of the hamas government. it seems like he still has some power, but it may only be what israel is willing to allow him to have for some lip service to the peace plan which doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon….