Abbas, Barak shake hands at rare meeting

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

LAGONISSI, Greece (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak shook hands Tuesday at a rare meeting on the sidelines of a congress in Greece.

"I would like to salute the pragmatism of Mr Abbas, who wants to adopt with us a common strategy to contain terrorism," Barak said after the brief encounter in the Greek seaside town of Lagonissi.

Abbas, speaking to the Socialist International congress, called on Israel to end its "siege" of Jerusalem, act on Jewish settlements, and reduce military checkpoints that he said "destroy the lives of thousands of Palestinians."

Speaking to journalists, Barak blamed the Islamist Hamas movement that controls Gaza for "indiscriminate" attacks on Israeli citizens saying, "If there is no...