Mahmoud Abbas: Pressing the Flesh for Peace

New Faces?
Abbas meets with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Istanbul in June 2010. The enduring Israeli-Palestinian stalemate over which the U.S. has presided has prompted other regional players to step up their involvement. Turkey, a longtime Israel ally, has engaged in some high-profile confrontations with Israel over its actions toward the Palestinians. But Abbas, for diplomatic and partisan political reasons, is unlikely to encourage those parties who foresee a major role for Hamas in the Palestinians' future.

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