Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed Palestinians directly in a speech on Monday, offering to conditionally restart talks based on the roadmap that could lead to an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In the speech, Olmert set out his ideas for building on the day-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in ways that might revitalise the stagnant Middle East peace process.
 "If the Palestinians established a new government committed to carrying out the US-backed "road map" peace plan and secured the captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit's release, then I would call for an immediate meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to have a real, open, honest, serious dialogue between us."
Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi described Olmert's speech as an attempt "to persuade his own constituency at home as well as the international community that he does have a peace agenda."
In the meantime, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, struck a less skeptical note. He said the Palestinians are ready to start negotiating to immediately implement the road map and the Arab peace initiative. The guarantees are the starting point to for negotiating seriously without conditions and to implement those drafts.
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Director: Liu Chi