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Abbas, Sharon to meet TuesdayMideast leaders set talks to push peace process forward
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSJERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have agreed to meet Tuesday in an effort to push the peace process forward, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. Sharon's spokesman, Ra'anan Gissin, said the meeting will be in Jerusalem. The official Jordanian news agency said King Abdullah II spoke by phone Wednesday with both Abbas and Sharon, stressing the need for calm in the region and to "prevent further escalation between the Palestinians and Israelis." Erakat and Sharon's top adviser, Dov Weisglass, will meet Friday to prepare the details of Tuesday's meeting. Abbas and Sharon had planned to meet last Sunday, but the talks were called off after a rise in violence September 24. Dozens of Qassam rockets were fired into Israel, and Israeli forces responded by arresting more than 400 "wanted Palestinians" and launching air strikes on militant positions in Gaza. Israel said Sunday it had suspended military strikes on Gaza following what it called positive steps from the Palestinian Authority to end rocket fire into Israel from the militant group Hamas. Later Sunday, Sharon and Abbas did speak by telephone when the Palestinian leader called Sharon to wish him a happy Rosh Hashanah. Sharon responded with a salutation about Ramadan, and they agreed to meet soon. (Full story) The Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holy month of Tishri take place at the same time this year. Tishri, the month in which Jews observe Rosh Hashanah -- the Jewish New Year -- and Yom Kippur -- the day of atonement -- began Monday at dusk. Ramadan, the month in which Muslims fast during daylight hours, began this week with the first sighting of the crescent moon. (Gallery) A news release Sunday from the prime minister's office said the two leaders had "agreed to enhance cooperation between them and to work together in order to advance the process." On Monday the Palestinian legislature voted to "urge" Abbas to form a new government, saying the current government had failed to seize control of Gaza following Israel's pullout. (Full story) Israel on September 12 completed its withdrawal of troops from Gaza, after removing all of its settlements, ahead of handing over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. Before the withdrawal, Sharon and Abbas met in June for more than two hours in what one Palestinian leader described as "difficult" talks dominated by a discussion of terrorism. (Full story) The talks were the first for the leaders since February, when they announced a cease-fire agreement at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Abbas is to go to Washington to meet with President Bush on October 20. In May, Abbas became the first Palestinian leader in five years to visit the White House, where President Bush pledged $50 million in direct aid to Palestinian Authority. (Full story) CNN's Waffa Munayyer contributed to this report. 
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