Roundup: Israeli officials' responses differ on Olmert-Abbas summit

The Israeli cabinet on Sunday unanimously approved the release of part of withheld Palestinian funds, but various views were voiced during the cabinet meeting regarding Saturday's Olmert-Abbas summit.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held a two-hour meeting in his residence in Jerusalem on Saturday evening with Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

During the long-awaited meeting, Olmert and Abbas reached a series of concessions, including the transfer of 100 million U.S. dollars in frozen taxes which were collected by Israel on behalf of the PNA.

Olmert briefed the cabinet on Sunday that his Saturday meeting with Abbas was a good meeting, and he plan to continue to meet Abbas in order to implement the joint understandings and the diplomatic agenda Israel wish to promote.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said during the meeting that the Olmert-Abbas summit was a significant diplomatic initiative which must be promoted with Abbas and other moderates in the PNA.

"The Palestinians have two choices, that of extreme Hamas, or a moderate option which includes a diplomatic horizon," Livni said.

However, Defense Minister Amir Peretz doubted at the meeting the talks between Olmert and Abbas would bring about the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian militants on June 25.

Peretz also expressed concern about whether Israel's policy of restraint in the face of continuing Qassam rocket attacks by Palestinian militants is actually strengthening the moderates in the PNA.

He said that the restraint may very well be "playing directly into the hands of those who walk around town and declare the violent actions they are taking against Israel."

Regarding Palestinian militants' rocket attacks, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz called for action against heads of terror organizations in the Gaza Strip.

Mofaz said at the meeting that Israel had to ensure the well- being of residents in Sderot and the western Negev, an area suffered frequent rocket attacks from the Palestinian side despite the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Palestinians in November.

"It is not enough to attack those firing Qassams. A comprehensive, unequivocal attack should be considered," said Mofaz.

On Sunday morning, Palestinian militants fired two more Qassam rockets at southern Israel. One rocket landed near the western Negev city of Sderot while the second landed in an open field. No injuries or damage were reported in either strike.

Around 50 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since the truce deal took effect on Nov. 26. Israel has decided to keep on adopting the policy of restraint to maintain the fragile ceasefire.

Besides the cabinet ministers, Israeli lawmaker from the right- wing Likud Party Gideon Sa'ar also thumbed down the Olmert-Abbas summit by saying that "after the one-sided ceasefire, Olmert continues to make one-sided concessions."

Source: Xinhua