President Mahmoud Abbas can appoint himself as head of the next government, a Fatah official said Wednesday, dismissing criticism that the move to bolster unity had no standing in Palestinian law.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said Wednesday that a round of exploratory discussions with Israel under Jordanian auspices had ended. But he left open the possibility of a resumption of contacts under certain conditions and after consultations with Arab League representatives on Feb. 4.

"A movement of citizens, expressed in organized political parties with clearly articulated programs, would tap into the patriotic and ecumenical grassroots protest movements and ensure that a historic opportunity for progress is not squandered."

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is cutting spending and raising taxes in an attempt to plug the $1.1 billion deficit in the public budget, he told reporters in Ramallah on Sunday evening.

In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, PM Fayyad asserts that Palestinians have proven they are ready for independence, saying, "We have proved that we can govern ourselves. The world understands that we deserve a state.”

ACP has pledged commitment to fund 1,000 sight-saving cataract surgeries at St. John’s in Jerusalem for the otherwise blind men and women of Palestine; this is a $330,000 intiative.