On Thursday, it will be the first official meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Barack Obama in the White House in Washington since the latter was sworn in as US President in January 20.

Abbas wants to learn more from President Obama about the US policy in the Middle East and its plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts by ending the Israeli settlement activities and implementing the US-supported two-state solution vision.

Palestinian observers said that Abbas seeks US guarantees that the Middle East peace process is to be resumed soon with Israeli guarantees that Israel will stop its settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem and will accept the two-state solution vision adopted by the US.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, an advisor of President Abbas, said in a written statement sent to reporters that President Abbas wants a complete cessation of Israeli settlements, including its natural growth, and also a full Israeli commitment to implement the roadmap peace plan.

"These two issues will be on top of the meeting agenda as well as the two-state solution vision," Abu Rudeineh said, "if Israel accepts these issues, the way to serious negotiations that could bring fruitful results will be paved."

Netanyahu basically rejected the two-state solution and he talked about reaching economic peace with the Palestinians by easing restrictions and encouraging both economic and security cooperation with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Netanyahu also rejects complete cessation of settlement building in the West Bank. In the last meeting of his cabinet, he promised that no new settlements will be built, but the natural growth of settlements will be put into his government's consideration.

"President Abbas will tell President Obama that the Palestinians don't want to hear only encouraging words and statements, they want to see measures on the ground and practical plans implemented that will save the region from violence and turbulence," said Abu Rudeineh.

However, Abbas himself faces two major difficulties. The first is the political rift between the West Bank that he rules and Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas movement. The second difficulty is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection to ending settlements and accepting the two-state solution.

As'ad Abu Sharkh, a Palestinian academic at al-Azhar University, said that Abbas's visit to the US and his meeting with President Obama "are important in terms of boosting Abbas political and financial position, mainly exerting pressure on Israel to accept the two-state solution and stopping settlements."

But Abu Sharkh was not optimistic that the US administration would give Abbas all he wants, "simply because Israel is not interested in finding a fair and just solution that gives the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, mainly the right to return and Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state."

"I believe that if Abbas doesn't get real and serious US guarantees, he will get back to the Palestinian territories, standing before two choices, either to keep insisting on his stance for a just solution to the Palestinian cause or to accept Netanyahu's plans," said Abu Sharkh.

Other observers said that even if the peace process with Israelis resumed soon based on the Arab Peace Initiative, Abbas will face another foe, Islamic Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, which rejects all the peace plans, mainly the roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Abbas and Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since June 2007, are hardly trying to end their rift, with the help of Egypt, to reach a reconciliation agreement, form a unity government and reunite Gaza and the West Bank as one geographical territory.

"I believe that ending Gaza-West Bank division and reaching a reconciliation deal between Abbas and Hamas is not of Israeli interest," said Ibrahim Abrash, a Palestinian analyst and Minister of Culture in Salam Fayyad's former caretaker government.

He added that the rift between Fatah and Hamas movements "is a powerful card in Israel's hands in case peace talks on establishing an independent Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank are resumed."

"Abbas is in a very difficult position. I think the first important step he should take immediately, in order to boost his position before Netanyahu, is to reconcile with Hamas and reunite Gaza and the West Bank, then he will be strong enough to face Netanyahu's plans," said Abrash.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2009)