Quds city, Feb 6, SPA -- Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday Israel has no intention of weakening Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and hopes it can cooperate with the moderate leader despite Hamas's election win. "We have no interest in hurting the head of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen," Olmert said in a speech, referring to Abbas, whose Fatah party was crushed by Hamas, in the Jan. 25 parliamentary ballot. "As long as he does not cooperate with Hamas and the Palestinian government is not a Hamas government, we will cooperate with the Palestinian Authority cautiously and responsibly," he said in broadcast remarks. Olmert's comments coincided with a report in the Haaretz newspaper that Abbas recently sent emissaries to tell Israeli officials he would continue to be responsible for diplomatic contacts with Israel after Hamas's victory. The Israeli daily reported Abbas had requested Israel keep open a dialogue with him, receiving assurances from Olmert that it would.
