A Palestinian politician expressed hope on Monday that a three-way summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would lead to revival of the long-stalled peace talks.

"We are looking forward to kicking off a serious political process with the Israeli side and starting essential negotiations on all issues with the U.S. participation," Yasser Abed Rabou, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told the Voice of Palestine.

Earlier in the day, Abbas, Olmert and Rice began a summit in Jerusalem to discuss ways to restart the stalled Israeli- Palestinian peace track.

"If the summit results in ending Israeli occupation and securing Palestinian people's rights, I think it will be possible to begin the political process," Abed Rabou said.

"We will ask Rice to work on resolving outstanding issues with Israel, like siege on the Palestinians, settlement activities and excavation that Israel carries out around the al-Aqsa Mosque," he said.

Meanwhile, Abed Rabou praised as "positive" a U.S. stance toward a coming Palestinian national unity government.

He said that the judgment on the new government would be made according to its political program and how it will deal with violence and rocket firing.

Prime Minister Ismail Haneya resigned and was designated to form a new power-sharing government last Thursday according to an agreement signed by rival movements of Hamas and Fatah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 8.

Haneya is expected to form the government in the near future in a bid to end inter-Palestinian violence and lift the West's sanction on the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua