Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for intensified international efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. According to the AP, Abbas spoke after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the West Bank city of Ramallah, adding that he was ready to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "We need each other," Abbas said of Israel and the Palestinians. "We have a common issue and we must deal with each other to solve our problems."
The president also warned that the situation in the Palestinian territories was "dangerous" after a week of fighting between rival Palestinian factions.
Blair called on the international community to support Abbas. "Your people are suffering," he told Abbas. "We don't want anything to stand in the way of helping the Palestinian people." Blair added that he would do what he can in coming weeks to deliver support to Abbas and the Palestinians. "I will not rest for a single moment," he said.
