Senior Egyptian officials plan to to ask the United States for more concessions from Israel as a way to get Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to reverse his decision from last week not to run for re-election, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Misriun. The newspaper reports that if Abbas does not change his mind, Egypt will ask the U.S. to put pressure on Israel to free convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti to run for the position.
Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for his role in the terrorist murder of five Israelis, has wide support among PA residents and is given a good chance at bringing an end to the rift between Fatah and Hamas.