Yasser Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas, was sworn in as president of the Palestinian Authority on Saturday, promising peace with Israel, but he did not say how he will stop militants from attacking the Jewish state.
Addressing supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Mr. Abbas reaffirmed the Palestinian quest for an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and he called for unity among his people to achieve it. He reaffirmed the Palestinian commitment to the internationally-backed road map peace plan, saying Israelis and Palestinians are destined to live side-by-side in peace. But as Mr. Abbas called for an end to the violence, Israeli gunfire killed eight more Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. His advisors say he will go to Gaza next week, to talk to militant leaders about a cease-fire.
