International   

Arab leaders invite Israel for holding direct talks

Atul Aneja

Comprehensive land-for-peace plan as basis

DUBAI: Arab leaders at their summit in Riyadh have invited Israel to open direct negotiations with them on the basis of a comprehensive land-for-peace plan.

The Arab peace plan first aired five years ago by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia promises normalisation of ties with Israel provided it vacates lands that it occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The plan calls for the emergence of an independent Palestinian state with Arab East Jerusalem as its capital.

Besides, it seeks a "just solution" to the problem created by the displacement of Palestinians from land, which is now Israel.

Sincere gesture

"The Palestinian people is sincere in extending its hand of peace to the Israeli people, and I call on that people and its leaders to share that dream with us," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the summit in a speech on Thursday.

The summit decided to form working groups, which will now try and canvass support for the initiative worldwide.

Without rejecting it, Israel is expressing reservations about the proposal, especially about the right of refugees to return and the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian State.

"I would say this: Let's conduct negotiations. You come with your positions, and we will come with ours," Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres told Israel Radio.

"I don't think we need to predetermine what we accept or don't accept. Each side should come with their own positions and negotiate from there."

A senior Arab official told The Hindu that participants wanted Israel to accept the peace plan as the "basis for negotiations."

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said, "They [Israelis] tell us to amend it, but we tell them to accept it first, then we can sit down at the negotiating table."

"Pillar of peace process"

In his address to the summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the Arab initiative as "one of the pillars of the peace process".

He urged Israel to "take a fresh look at it".

The summit sought an amendment to the Iraqi constitution, which would allow more Sunni participation in Government.

Earlier at the conference, King Abdullah launched a scathing attack on the American policy in Iraq.

He said Iraq was the victim of "illegitimate foreign occupation" by U.S.-led forces.

He urged Arab leaders not to allow foreign powers to determine the future course of the region.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Sri Lanka Navy destroys three LTTE boats
Newspaper closed
Arab leaders invite Israel for holding direct talks
U.S. agrees to talks on missile shield
Iran may delay release of woman sailor
Seminary students free kidnapped women after apology
Pakistan soldier killed in suicide attack
Hillary leads in fund-raising race
Iraqi police linked to killing of Sunnis
Indonesia bird flu toll rises to 71
World's highest airport planned

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu