Israel hopes that Mahmud Abbas, whom exit polls suggested overwhelmingly won Sunday's election to succeed Yasser Arafat, will usher in a new era of peace, a senior government official said. "We hope that by electing Abu Mazen (Abbas's nickname), Palestinians have ushered in a new era of peace and are taking the path of compromise and dialogue," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A source in Ariel Sharon's office had said earlier on Sunday that the Israeli premier was ready to meet the new president immediately to revive high-level contacts frozen since 2003.
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