News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has retracted his prediction that an agreement of principles formulated in meetings with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will be ready for presentation at the Middle East multi-national summit scheduled for November.

Instead, the Prime Minister is now referring to the document as a “joint declaration of intentions," rather than a document that will tie up loose ends on a deal that could become the precursor for final status talks to be discussed by participants at the U.S.-organized summit.

“We are examining whether or not a serious process is possible, which meets our expectations within the basic parameters of providing security to Israeli citizens.” said Olmert. He added that the intent is to complete the joint declaration "so that should there be a regional summit, it will headline the meeting."