Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas discussed a planned Middle East peace conference in the United States with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Friday and expressed pessimism about its prospects, a Palestinian diplomat said. During talks at the king's ranch near Riyadh, Abbas conveyed the Palestinians "are so far unhappy with the Israeli position, because the Israelis have not offered something that could ensure the success of the conference," the Palestinian ambassador in Riyadh, Jamal al-Shobaki, told AFP.
Abbas told Abdullah that "the United States must step in and put pressure on Israel, obliging it to comply with the terms of reference of the peace process, namely the (internationally drafted) roadmap, the Arab peace initiative and UN resolutions," Shobaki was quoted as saying.
According to him, the Saudi monarch agreed that "Israel has so far not shown a serious response that could contribute to the success of the conference," expected to be held later this year in Annapolis, Maryland.
Meanwhile, a senior official said on Friday the Israeli cabinet is next week expected to approve the release of some 500 Palestinian prisoners just days ahead of the summit. The move is seen as a goodwill gesture towards Abbas and an attempt to draw key Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.
"The government will vote on Monday on the release of some 500 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails," the Israeli official told AFP.
Those to be freed will not include any members of the Islamic Jihad movement or Hamas, the official said. None of the prisoners has been involved in killing Israelis, he added.
