Abbas calls for talks with Hamas government, denounces Obama's remarks on
Jerusalem
News agencies YNET Published: 06.04.08, 22:00 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3552088,00.html

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Wednesday for renewed dialogue
with Hamas. This followed months of his insisting that Hamas must first
relinquish control of Gaza.

Abbas gave a broadcast speech to his people on Wednesday evening. Referring
to the latest attempt to bridge the rift, he called for "a national dialogue
to implement the Yemeni initiative in all its elements, to end the internal
division that harms our people, (our) cause."

Abbas said if the talks succeed, "I will call for new legislative and
presidential elections."

The Palestinian President also rejected Barack Obama's call on Wednesday for
Jerusalem to be the undivided capital of Israel and repeated his demand for
a Palestinian capital in the city.

"This statement is totally rejected," Abbas declared during his speech. "The
whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967 and we will not
accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a
Palestinian state."

He said that everything possible must be done in order to reach an
all-inclusive peace agreement, far from the Israeli settlement policy, in
order to bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem
as its capital.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu commended the call for talks. "We
welcome this call by the President Abbas to launch a national dialogue, and
we consider it a positive step," he said.

For the past year, Abbas had insisted he would only talk to Hamas once it
steps aside in Gaza.

Ali Waked contributed to this report