09/02/2009 Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, whose term ended on January 9, said Monday in Warsaw he was ready to cooperate with any new Israeli government that emerges from Tuesday's general election.

But he added that the Palestinians expected Israel to stop building new settlements in the occupied territories. "I don't know who will win the elections, but we will cooperate with any new Israeli government emerging from the elections on the basis of the bilateral accords and the international resolutions which have been adopted up to this point," Abbas said at a joint press conference with Poland's President Lech Kaczynski.

"We also expect that the new Israeli government will stop installing new settlements. If the new government does not do this, I don't know what will become of the peace process," Abbas said in Arabic, speaking through an interpreter.

"I call on Israel to meet its obligations, otherwise the entire world will be frustrated that peace is not coming and that violence and terrorism are knocking at our door - it is the only alternative to peace."

For his part Kaczynski called on Israel for moderation. "Poland has and wants good and friendly relations with Israel but we are also calling on Israel to exercise moderation," Kaczynski said.

Abbas also said he was hopeful the new US administration of President Barack Obama could ease the Middle East crisis which has recently seen more than 1,400 deaths in Gaza, including 420 children. He said he has spoken personally with Obama and expressed optimism about his dispatching negotiator George Mitchell to the region. "He (Obama) understands that peace in the Middle East is fundamental to the security of the United States," Abbas said.

Speaking earlier in Warsaw, Palestinian Authority foreign minister Riad Al-Malki said recent Hamas rocket attacks on the occupied territories ahead of its general election Tuesday showed Hamas wants to undermine peace efforts in the region. "Hamas does not want a peace government in Israel to be elected in order to pursue political negotiations with the Palestinian Authority," said Al-Malki about Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip.

"The landing of the two rockets yesterday (Sunday) is a way to interfere in the outcome of the Israeli elections," he said at a joint press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. "That is why we are worried that such attacks might really interfere negatively during the outcome and might really push Israeli public opinion and the voters to vote for an anti-peace government," he said.

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