Jerusalem - Jordan's King Abdullah says the new Palestinian unity government must accept the three conditions of the Quartet including renouncing violence and recognizing Israel, Israel Radio
reported Saturday.
Abdullah's statements came during an interview with Israel's Channel 2, due to be broadcast later Saturday. Abdullah added that there was widespread support among Arab states for his position.
He said that the new government must grant Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a mandate to negotiate with Israel based upon the Arab League initiative from 2002.
This calls for a peace deal between Israel and the Arab world based on the formation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
The previous Hamas-led Palestinian government refused to accept the conditions of the Quartet - the US, EU, UN and Russia - and was placed under a crippling boycott. The new unity government has so far agreed only to "respect" previous Palestinian agreements with Israel.
Abdullah is the first Arab leader to express reservations about Arab states' willingness to break the boycott on the new unity government.
Meanwhile, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said in an interview with Voice of Palestine radio Saturday that preparations for a bilateral meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would begin in the next few days.
Abbas and Olmert recently met during a summit attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem. However, the meeting did not produce any immediate results.
