 MADRID: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday he is working to prevent a repeat of militant violence that killed three Israelis over the weekend and prompted Israel to suspend contacts with the Palestinians, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said. In a one-hour meeting with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Abbas said his government is also trying to get the Palestinian militant group Hamas to lay down its weapons and transform into a legitimate political party ahead of legislative elections in January.
| Shall we hold our collective breath? |
Abbas arrived from France as part of a tour that will take him to Washington Thursday for talks with President George W Bush. Abbas also met with King Juan Carlos. His visit here comes two days after Israel suspended contacts with the Palestinian Authority and imposed travel restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank in response to two drive-by shootings near West Bank settlements. The attacks Sunday left three Israelis dead and five wounded. Security officials in Israel have been quoted as saying they believed Hamas might have been involved, although the violence was claimed by a militant group with ties to the ruling Fatah party. |