” “"Building peace while respecting the agreements that have been painstakingly reached between the Palestinian National Authority and the State of Israel". Mahmoud Abbas, president of the PNA, gave a speech in Strasbourg today, in which he went over the historical steps that have led to the current situation in the Holy Land; he mentioned the historical leader Yasser Arafat, he spoke of the "difficult relationship with Israel". "Israelis frustrate us, they have seized our lands, they have built a wall that shuts off all hopes". A speech with some harsh words, in which the PNA leader also stated that "democracy is debased if there is no freedom and if one’s territory is occupied". Abbas, who considers the European Union the "guarantor" on the Palestinian side of the cohabitation between Arabs and Israelis, also condemned "all assaults against civilians" and "disavowed all forms of terrorism". In addition, he explained that he is "pushing the Hamas-led government to make it respect its commitments to Israel and to the international community". In this sense, the head of State asked the EU "to keep financially supporting our people, so that at this juncture we can guarantee minimal services to the population". Abbas revealed he called the new Israeli prime minister, Olmert, "to congratulate him on his appointment and to tell him I am most willing to resume talks".” “
