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Last update - 00:00 02/07/2009
Peres to Saudi King: Meet me in Jerusalem, or in Riyadh
By Hila Raz, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Peres, Israel News 

President Shimon Peres on Wednesday invited Saudi King Abdullah to come to Jerusalem, or meet him in Riyadh, to initiate discussions that would enable the implementation of a comprehensive peace between Israel and all the Arab states.

Peres spoke at an interfaith conference in Kazakhstan, addressing some 150 religious leaders from around the world, including a large delegation of imams, calling on King Abdullah to meet with him in Jerusalem, in Riyadh or in any other place "in order to fulfill his prayer for peace between all people, without differences of religion."

He praised a 2002 Arab peace initiative, which offers Israel full normalization in return for a withdrawal from territory conquered in the 1967 Six Day War, a Palestinian state and an equitable solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.
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Peres quoted Jordanian King Abdullah II as calling the plan "a readiness for peace between the State of Israel and 57 Arab and Muslim states."

The president also spoke about Islamist terrorism.

"Thousands, if not millions of Muslims, have lost their lives at the hands of extremists that call the name of Allah," Peres said. "In the Twin Towers of New-York, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and atheists, all lost their lives as one."

Meanwhile, Iranian delegates stormed out of the opening session of the interfaith conference as Peres began to deliver his address to the forum.

The delegates returned to the conference hall after Peres finished speaking.

One said the president was a repulsive Zionist figure whose "place was not here in a religious meeting."

"[Peres] plunders land and occupies, and we are not willing to hear him," an Iranian delegate added.

The move recalled a similar scene at a United Nations-sponsored conference in Geneva in April, when dozens of Western representatives walked out in protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address to the forum.

The diplomats rose from their chairs and quit the hall as Ahmadinejad launched a tirade against Israel, which he called a racist entity.


About 80 delegations participated in the summit, representing different faiths and sects from 35 countries.

Israel's Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yona Metzger, also attended the conference, during which he urged Hamas to let a cleric visit abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

"I'm holding in my hands a picture of my brother, a son of my country who was kidnapped. We don't know anything about him; his father and mother aren't receiving any information on him," Metzger said.

He urged the religious leaders present "to call for a representative of the abductee's faith to be able to visit him and give him sustenance."



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      1.   Unlike the United Nations-sponsored conference... 10:29  |  Canadian 01/07/09
      2.   WHAT ABOUT THE PAL FAMILIES 10:40  |  PALI 01/07/09
      3.   oh, an interfaith meet? 10:44  |  we need more 01/07/09
      4.   Palestinian prisoners get Red-Cross visits, etc 11:15  |  David Plane 01/07/09
      5.   I think I`d have walked out as well. 11:21  |  Michael 01/07/09
      6.   To the PALI #2-I am a Guard at the Prison 11:22  |  Arthur 01/07/09
      7.   #2 11:42  |  m 01/07/09
      8.   A-jad and bad manners! 11:49  |  US CITIZEN 01/07/09
      9.   to #6 Arthur 12:44  |  Juge 01/07/09
      10.   Arthur the Prison Guard 13:25  |  Guy from NYC 01/07/09
      11.   @m 13:35  |  Ilias 01/07/09
      12.   Ahmadinejad said... 14:19  |  Daniel 01/07/09
      13.   Michael 14:32  |  Netanel 01/07/09
      14.   @Ilias 14:43  |  Ralph 01/07/09
      15.   Iranian crybabies 15:45  |  Lynn 01/07/09
      16.   A bad case of protesting too much 15:48  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      17.   A bad case of protesting too much 15:48  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      18.   interfaith 15:54  |  oz 01/07/09
      19.   Iran delegates 15:59  |  Peter 01/07/09
      20.   1391 no Red Cross acess 16:12  |  ben 01/07/09
      21.   The Difference 16:17  |  Liat 01/07/09
      22.   Visits 17:20  |  Marc 01/07/09
      23.   Of course. They walked out to protest . . . 17:22  |  Joseph 01/07/09
      24.   The Saudis: Love me,Love me not? 17:33  |  Ronnie Wolman 01/07/09
      25.   All the Saudis want to know is.... 17:38  |  Natallie Durson 01/07/09
      26.   #11 Llias 17:43  |  Makevet 01/07/09
      27.   Only Iran left. No-one else. What does that say? 17:47  |  Dan 01/07/09
      28.   Enough talk. time to be realistic and evacuate 17:53  |  Tony Silver 01/07/09
      29.   To # 7 18:03  |  O C 01/07/09
      30.   @Ilias 18:04  |  ZISD 01/07/09
      31.   Iranian delegates 18:19  |  oz 01/07/09
      32.   Saudi King Abdullah should accept President Peres invite... 18:19  |  Smadar 01/07/09
      33.   Pali - why do you have to lie? 18:19  |  ChanahS 01/07/09
      34.   Michael UK 18:21  |  ChanahS 01/07/09
      35.   Iran delegation not legit, not even in Iran 18:23  |  anti-racist 01/07/09
      36.   lets make it Jerusalem 18:30  |  patriot 01/07/09
      37.   answer to 21 18:46  |  flo 01/07/09
      38.   answer to #20 18:48  |  flo 01/07/09
      39.   What Hypocrites! 19:00  |  Douglas Fireman 01/07/09
      40.   #6 ARTHUR THE REASONS THEY LIE 19:01  |  Ian 01/07/09
      41.   Use correct terminology please 19:02  |  Concerened 01/07/09
      42.   Tony Silver from Copenhagen 19:09  |  David Israel 01/07/09
      43.   #26 David Israel - New York 19:34  |  michael 01/07/09
      44.   Give Israel land in Saudia Arabia 19:37  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 01/07/09
      45.   Hello Religious Leaders 19:42  |  Shimon Cleopas 01/07/09
      46.   Old Peres offers a softer approach 19:43  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      47.   Peace in Israel 19:45  |  Carole, UK 01/07/09
      48.   # 26 michael 19:58  |  patriot 01/07/09
      49.   the saudis 20:07  |  patriot 01/07/09
      50.   Arthur, as a guard, have you witnessed the torture? 20:18  |  Ibrahim 01/07/09
      51.   Hey Pali 20:19  |  Justintime 01/07/09
      52.   24# Answer to #20 by flo 20:22  |  Allen 01/07/09
      53.   All the Saudis want... 20:27  |  Justintime 01/07/09
      54.   Israel must not hold its breathe ! 20:33  |  Akram Zekaria 01/07/09
      55.   @Makevet 20:33  |  ILias 01/07/09
      56.   I hope Peres lives at least until 120. 20:38  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/07/09
      57.   #26 20:47  |  Mike 01/07/09
      58.   To tell that Peres is a Zionist, just shown how afraid they are 20:49  |  JP 01/07/09
      59.   ridiculous lies being told 20:53  |  Drew 01/07/09
      60.   "He praised a 2002 Arab peace initiative" 21:05  |  Axel 01/07/09
      61.   Michael from Dublin - 2nd try 21:20  |  David Israel 01/07/09
      62.   David Israel # 28 How do the settlements advance peace? 21:25  |  American in NY 01/07/09
      63.   It took 7 years for the Saudis to get a response to their offer? 21:30  |  American in NY 01/07/09
      64.   #29 Michael in Dublin 21:38  |  ZISD 01/07/09
      65.   To Arthur the Prison Guard (2nd try) 21:47  |  Binyamin 01/07/09
      66.   # 30 chaim 21:55  |  Axel 01/07/09
      67.   Yes Axel. The same 22:16  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      68.   To Axel - The chosen One 22:16  |  Ice 01/07/09
      69.   #2 - PALI 22:23  |  MichaelF 01/07/09
      70.   #18 - Natallie Durson 22:26  |  MichaelF 01/07/09
      71.   flo 24`s answer to # 20 22:30  |  Eaglebeak 01/07/09
      72.   I guess you missed that chapter in Zionism Chaim 22:31  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      73.   btw Chaim, there were also Christian tribes 22:36  |  Mark Lincoln 01/07/09
      74.   Michael from Dublin - 3rd try 22:39  |  David Israel 01/07/09
      75.   Similarity 22:47  |  Miope 01/07/09
      76.   To Arthur the Prison Guard (3rd try) 22:48  |  Binyamin 01/07/09
      77.   to David israel..... 22:52  |  Tony Silver 01/07/09
      78.   To Michael in London 00:07  |  utagawa 02/07/09
      79.   funny 00:51  |  Fallujah 02/07/09
      80.   re: lets make it jerusalem - patriot 02:54  |  Oriv 02/07/09
      81.   Re: Give Israel land in Saudia Arabia 02:59  |  Oriv 02/07/09
      82.   David Israel # 28 How do the settlements advance peace? 03:20  |  American in NY 02/07/09
      83.   It took 7 years for the Saudis to get a response to their offer? 03:21  |  American in NY 02/07/09
      84.   Palestinian Prisoners and Red Cross Visits 04:13  |  Binyamin 02/07/09
      85.   MichaelF Correct and what has been done 05:53  |  Mark Lincoln 02/07/09
      86.   M ICHAEL of course you would have but the EU reps listened 1st 06:27  |  PETER SM 02/07/09
      87.   Yeah, he keeps praising it, but he won`t accept it. 09:32  |  Johnboy 02/07/09
      88.   Michaels reply to David Israel 19:12  |  Eaglebeak 02/07/09
      89.   Peres vs the Chieftain 15:18  |  Brod 04/07/09
      90.   arthur... no.6.... youre the ill one. 08:01  |  ravi 05/07/09
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