Israel PM to attend Mideast summit

Story Highlights

• Meeting intended to boost moderate Palestinian leaders like President Abbas
• Summit follows Hamas takeover of Gaza, Abbas' declaration of emergency
• Abbas will call for a resumption of peace talks with Israel, aide says

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will attend a four-way summit Monday sponsored by Egypt and intended to boost moderate Palestinian leaders like President Mahmoud Abbas, a spokesman for Olmert said Thursday.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak invited Olmert, Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II to attend the summit Monday afternoon in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

The meeting comes in the wake of the takeover of Gaza by Hamas and Abbas' decision to declare an emergency, dissolve the national unity government dominated by Hamas and appoint a new emergency government.

Abbas will call for a resumption of peace talks with Israel, his aide Yasser Abed Rabbo said.

Abbas has called the Hamas takeover of Gaza a "bloody coup" and said he will not hold talks with them. Abbas aide Saeb Erakat has called the Hamas takeover of Gaza an "occupation" and said progress of peace talks is the best way to counter the influence of Hamas. (Full story)

Olmert and President Bush said in Washington this week that it was important to support Abbas and his emergency government.

"We share a common way forward, and our hope is that others in the region understand that this way forward leads to peace," Bush told reporters, with Olmert seated by his side.

Olmert has expressed Israel's concern over Hamas' attempts to bring weapons into Gaza, and observers expect he will press the Egyptians to help cut off arms smuggling through tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

The new Abbas government has received financial support from the United States, the European Union and Israel, which agreed to restore money that had been frozen after Hamas won last year's legislative elections.

Bush described Abbas as "a reasonable voice among extremists," and Olmert said he intended to meet the Palestinian president regularly.

"We have to prepare the groundwork that will allow -- soon I hope -- to be able to start serious negotiations about the creation of a Palestinian state," Olmert said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Monday the United States would give up to $86 million to help build the Abbas government infrastructure, such as improving roads and providing drinking water.

To ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, the U.S. is also giving $40 million to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, she said.

The European Union also announced it would restart direct aid to Abbas' government.

Europe is the largest single donor to the Palestinian territories, followed by the United States. Before Hamas took control of the government last year, the EU provided more than $600 million in aid -- about half of it directly funding the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas does not recognize the Palestinian government under newly appointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, calling it illegal and unconstitutional. (Watch Hamas leader pressed on missing reporter )

Olmert has vowed to cooperate with Fayyad's government. On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called Fayyad to discuss cooperation opportunities.

The Bush administration wants British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be a Middle East peace envoy when he leaves office next week, senior U.S. officials said.

The White House is talking to Blair about taking up the role for the Mideast Quartet once he steps down as prime minister on June 27, the officials said. (Full story)

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