Abbas Win, New Sharon Team Boost Peace Hopes
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Middle East peace hopes  were boosted on Monday when Mahmoud Abbas was elected  Palestinian president and Israel's parliament backed Ariel  Sharon's new coalition to implement his planned Gaza pullout.
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Palestinian security chiefs hoped to win  an Israeli go-ahead Tuesday to take over wider areas of Gaza to  solidify a de facto cease-fire and help new President Mahmoud  Abbas launch peace talks with Israel.
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The Quartet of Middle East peace   mediators on Wednesday endorsed Palestinian President Mahmoud   Abbas' effort to establish a national unity government with   Hamas, which is still officially committed to the destruction   of Israel.
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Palestinian officials approved a new Cabinet on Wednesday that is expected to put strong allies of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in charge of key portfolios.
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A Saturday meeting between Israel's defense minister and a top Palestinian security official went well, Israeli officials said, as the two sides try to reconcile widely differing expectations for an upcoming summit between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
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Palestinian presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas appeared headed toward a decisive victory Sunday, in a vote many across the world hope will usher in a moderate leadership and revitalize the Middle East peace process.
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The honeymoon's over for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon telephoned Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday to congratulate him on his election as Palestinian president, a senior Palestinian official said.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Mahmoud Abbas was sworn in  as Palestinian president to succeed Yasser Arafat on Saturday,  but his call for a truce and talks were overshadowed by  Israel's decision to cut ties over a deadly militant attack.
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The State Department encouraged new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday to strengthen security forces on the West Bank and Gaza as it pledged to help bridge gaps with Israel.
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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt  - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he hoped his summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday would project a new spirit of peace after Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in a civil war.
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HERZLIYA, Israel  - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel  Sharon said on Thursday he saw a unique chance for peace with  new Palestinian leaders and was ready to coordinate his Gaza  withdrawal plan as a step to a broader deal.
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Western powers rallied behind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday after Hamas Islamists routed his forces in the Gaza Strip and began imposing a new order in the enclave after days of bloody civil war.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Palestinians voted on  Sunday for a successor to Yasser Arafat and looked likely to  elect Mahmoud Abbas, who has promised to revive peacemaking  with Israel after years of bloodshed.
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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  phoned Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday to congratulate him on his  election as Palestinian president and offer cooperation, the  highest-level contact between the sides in nearly four years.
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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared victory Monday in his quest to replace Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority after balloting that many Palestinians and international officials considered a milestone in efforts to bring democracy to the Arab world.
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Leaders from Israel, Egypt and Jordan met today to show support for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.