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Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal. (AP)
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Last update - 15:36 27/09/2007
Saudi FM: Israel should halt settlement building before talks
By Reuters

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Wednesday Israel should freeze construction in West Bank settlements and on the separation fence in order to attract Arab states to a planned peace conference.

But speaking to a group of journalists, Prince Saud al-Faisal stopped short of saying the Arabs would not attend the U.S.-organized conference, expected to be held in the Washington area in November, unless Israel took such measures.

Al-Faisal, attending the annual UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders, said he had been encouraged by discussions between Arab ministers and international mediators on Sunday that there was a serious attempt to revive the peace process.

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"There is a sense that there is something new happening, and this is encouraging if it is going to prove right," he said.

"We are waiting to see, but the language we have heard... such statements that failure is not an option... that the intent is to look at the final status issues, the important issues and not the peripheral issues... this is what we have always asked for."

Washington has said members of an Arab League panel - the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt - would be "natural invitees" to the meeting, for which no invitations have yet been issued.

Attention has focused on whether Saudi Arabia would come, because of its standing in the Arab world.

"We will see... whether for the intent of the conference [the Israelis] will take the measures of confidence-building... such as the freeze of settlements and stopping the building of the wall," Al-Faisal said.

"Because it will be curious for [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas and the prime minister of Israel to be talking about peace and the return of Palestinian land while Israel is continuing to build more settlements.

"So at least a moratorium on the building of settlements will be a good signal to show a serious intent.... It is not too much to ask," he said, adding that was a common Arab, not just a Saudi, position.

Earlier, Syria, which would be a controversial invitee because of tensions with Israel following an alleged Israel Air Force strike on its territory early this month, along with allegations it arms and finances Palestinian militant groups, said it was "studying the situation."

"The failure of this meeting will have dangerous consequences on the region," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told Al-Jazeera television in an interview in New York.

"If the goal was not to bring just and comprehensive peace in the region... I believe that attending that meeting would be a risk."



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  1.   Camel riders in a country named after one family give advice 06:33  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/09/07
  2.   Dear camel rider spokesman: Jews don`t give you advice how to run 06:37  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/09/07
  3.   Saudi FM: New impetus for M.E. pease `encouraging 08:24  |  Martin List,M.D. 27/09/07
  4.   #3 Interesting 10:13  |  outsider 27/09/07
  5.   Why deal with a looser 10:26  |  Joseph 27/09/07
  6.   REMOVE SETTLEMENTS & SETTLERS!! 10:35  |  Kooky Dennt 27/09/07
  7.   more chicken and egg from the feudal princes 10:48  |  victor hardman 27/09/07
  8.   International monitors needed to control settlements. 10:49  |  Dutch Dirk 27/09/07
  9.   saudis advice 10:53  |  fish 27/09/07
  10.   Wahhabhist Crap 11:15  |  Brod 27/09/07
  11.   how disgustingly predictable, this is further proof of nothing 11:19  |  Pavel 27/09/07
  12.   Notice he doesn`t demand 11:21  |  David Teich 27/09/07
  13.   Saudi suicide jockeys flew planes into WTC 11:22  |  Avi 27/09/07
  14.   Advice to Saudis: Buy missiles 12:15  |  Natallie Durson 27/09/07
  15.   I Agree With the Prince 12:21  |  Jane 27/09/07
  16.   To#2 Dear land-thief spokesman:Arbas don`t give a toss about you 12:25  |  TrippleJump 27/09/07
  17.   Genuine Tosefta 12:36  |  fadi 27/09/07
  18.   # 1 & 2.....Use common sense 12:44  |  Farooq 27/09/07
  19.   #3 Martin List,M.D. 12:58  |  Joseph 27/09/07
  20.   Everybody but the Israelis KNOW this is the last 13:20  |  spyguy 27/09/07
  21.   A C T I O N S , that what is required from the PM Olmert. 13:41  |  Abdullah 27/09/07
  22.   These PROUD Camel Riders are the type many countries seek to be F 13:49  |  Ahmad Khaan 27/09/07
  23.   Fadi,why are there "many" arab countries? 13:51  |  Absolute Sweden 27/09/07
  24.   #10 13:55  |  ali 27/09/07
  25.   Olmert and the goverment will do as the Saudi says 14:09  |  ralphsrant1 27/09/07
  26.   Ali #24 14:15  |  Brod 27/09/07
  27.   # 23 absolute 14:21  |  Axel 27/09/07
  28.   ALL the settlements are illegal and israel knew this from the get 14:31  |  lakshmi 27/09/07
  29.   A good idea 14:34  |  Jonathan S 27/09/07
  30.   The US is NOT Losing Power and Influence 14:52  |  Jane 27/09/07
  31.   Abdullah #21 15:10  |  Brod 27/09/07
  32.   Poor Axel,your East German schooling deprived you of basic info 15:10  |  Absolute Sweden 27/09/07
  33.   Lakshmi #28 15:22  |  Brod 27/09/07
  34.   #6 akook writes in with no idea of reality 15:27  |  victor hardman 27/09/07
  35.   #20 the lunatic fringe and spyguy go together 15:30  |  victor hardman 27/09/07
  36.   The Saudis are the MAIN exporters of terror 15:45  |  US MAN 27/09/07
  37.   Good Faith Is A Two Way Street 15:45  |  Brad 27/09/07
  38.   No need for a conference 15:56  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 27/09/07
  39.   Natallie Durson buys missiles at 3:15 AM 17:01  |  Fish 27/09/07
  40.   #35# BRAD..QASSAM rockets attack by Hamas.? 17:34  |  fred 27/09/07
  41.   @6, kooky dent, we don´t need your advise 17:41  |  vladimir 27/09/07
  42.   #34. US MAN, sorry Man, the SAUDIS R not 17:49  |  Abdel Kader 27/09/07
  43.   Stop settlements yes, stop security fence, no 17:51  |  Conroy 27/09/07
  44.   to #36, Abu 17:56  |  Dave from Chicago 27/09/07
  45.   Trust Me 17:58  |  Marc 27/09/07
  46.   Damn right #21 Abdullah Babullah, Check the list of actions 18:11  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/09/07
  47.   36#.Abu Firas. Totally Agree with you. 18:14  |  Sulleyman 27/09/07
  48.   36Abu Firas Al Qudsi,you can wait for the moon to turn to blue 18:16  |  lakshmi 27/09/07
  49.   Good that Saudi Arabia throws its weight here 18:34  |  Fortuna Benmayor 27/09/07
  50.   #21 Abdullah 18:47  |  Dave from Chicago 27/09/07
  51.   He was respectful at least 18:53  |  Paul 27/09/07
  52.   Whom does the US influence? 18:58  |  Paul 27/09/07
  53.   There are more of them than others around them. 19:00  |  Paul 27/09/07
  54.   In Saudi Arabia, Debate on Women?s Right to Drive (NYTimes) 20:09  |  Fish 27/09/07
  55.   #44 Dave in Chicago 20:31  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 27/09/07
  56.   Saudi chitchat 20:36  |  American pie 27/09/07
  57.   saudis 20:44  |  American pie 27/09/07
  58.   American pie..you watch too many movies 21:06  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 27/09/07
  59.   Abu #55, maybe I can`t resolve this conflict.... 21:38  |  Dave from Chicago 27/09/07
  60.   #31Brod, WHAT BUSINESS of YOURS TO INTRUDE 22:00  |  Abdullah 27/09/07
  61.   To Dave the wise man in Chicago 22:03  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 27/09/07
  62.   46#Genuine T. Jealousy, Jeaslousy. 22:18  |  Abdullah 27/09/07
  63.   dave from chicago 22:31  |  alan 27/09/07
  64.   #50 Dave of chicago. I do agree on maIt the Israeli Govtny points 22:35  |  Abdullah 27/09/07
  65.   a reasonable enough request 22:56  |  newageblues 27/09/07
  66.   Abdullah #61. 23:07  |  Dave from Chicago 27/09/07
  67.   Alan, if you`re right...... 23:11  |  Dave from Chicago 27/09/07
  68.   it wouldnt surprise me if olmert said yes 23:24  |  zionist forever 27/09/07
  69.   #66 Dave of chicago. 00:20  |  Abdullah 28/09/07
  70.   There is a genuine anxiety 00:53  |  Mark Lincoln 28/09/07
  71.   Understood Jane 01:00  |  Mark Lincoln 28/09/07
  72.   Jane - neocon propaganda 01:06  |  Mark Lincoln 28/09/07
  73.   Jane - parity 01:11  |  Mark Lincoln 28/09/07
  74.   Carlos the Fifth and George II 01:14  |  Mark Lincoln 28/09/07
  75.   Re: 38 01:21  |  zionist forever 28/09/07
  76.   Abu #61, an excellant post........ 01:50  |  Dave from Chicago 28/09/07
  77.   Fred #35: 02:21  |  Brad 28/09/07
  78.   saudi FM:israel should halt settlement 04:41  |  Peacenik 28/09/07
  79.   not quite like that 11:56  |  knut martin robberst 28/09/07
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