Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told cabinet ministers at the weekly government meeting on Sunday that he was ready to sign a deal but PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was unwilling. Olmert added �if we haven�t reached an agreement until now, it is due to the fears and the lack of true desire of the Palestinians�everything else is a diversion intended to distract us from the main point�.

PA officials responded angrily to the prime minister�s statements, calling them �a lie�, adding �there is no basis for the Israeli prime minister�s remarks�.

Official PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina added, �We can only express sorrow over the fact the Israeli prime minister opts to hide behind excuses and his words contain inaccuracies regarding the peace negotiations between Israel and the PA�.

During the weekly meeting, most likely the current administration�s last, Olmert spoke of the �countless important, significant, decisive and critical measures taken for Israel�s good in the area of security�.

Mr. Olmert added he does not plan to elaborate above that which is generally reported in newspapers, both in Israel and abroad.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)