Relations with Israel is India's sovereign decision: Abbas

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) - India's growing ties with Israel
are not a matter of concern for Palestinians as they stand
assured on New Delhi's support for their struggle for
independence, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
said Thursday.

"India's relations with Israel is its sovereign
decision," Abbas told reporters here when asked about New
Delhi's growing engagement with Tel Aviv, particularly in the
field of defence.

"We are not going to interfere. We know very well that
India is supportive of the Palestinian struggle for achieving
its own independence," he said after wrapping up his three-day
visit to India during which he met President Pratibha Patil
and held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who
reaffirmed support to the Palestinian cause and to a
negotiated settlement of the issue.

"We give our gratitude and thanks to the Indian
government for the economic support they have given to us in
the past and even during this visit," Abbas said.

On the change in leadership in Israel, he noted that
prime minister-designate Tzipi Livni has been "really
acquainted with the Middle East peace process.

"Until this moment we have been negotiating with Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert. During his negotiations, she (Livni)
attended all the meetings and she is really acquainted with
the negotiation process," Abbas said.

He said the two leaders cannot be compared but both
belong to the same political party. "The moment Livni forms
her own government, we will start negotiating with her," Abbas
said.

On radical Hamas' refusal to accept his Presidency
after January, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) was
awaiting the Arab proposal to initiate the election process.

"According to the basic law and the election law, it
states very clearly that presidential and legislative
elections should carry on at the same time.

"So that is why we are waiting for the Arab proposal in
order to initiate such elections. The sooner the Arab proposal
is ready, the sooner we will have elections," he said.

Abbas said Egypt has concluded its bilateral
discussions with different Palestinian political factions and
a meeting with Hamas has been scheduled.

"There are positive signals from these meetings,"
Abbas said adding that he was looking forward for a discussion
on the Arab proposal which is expected to be presented to the
Arab League shortly.

"So, we will wait until this month or the beginning of
next month and we hope things will go in the right direction,"
he said.

Asked whether P.A. saw the U.S. or Israel as the
biggest problem in West Asia, Abbas said "there is a very
strong relationship between the U.S. and Israel and in most of
the cases both take the same positions.

"No one negates the fact that they are allies and that
is why their policies are the same and their influences are
also the same." PTI SKU
PMR
NNNN