Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., March 29, 2008 Adar2 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 08:56 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Walid al-Maollem. (AP) Last update - 06:28 28/03/2008 Arab FMs re-endorse 2002 Saudi peace initiative By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies Tags: Arab peace plan, Arab League  Arab foreign ministers on Thursday re-endorsed a 2002 Saudi peace initiative which promises recognition of Israel should it withdraw in full from territories it seized in the 1967 Six-Day War. The proposal was ratified despite proposals by some Arab elements to withdraw the initiative. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Thursday, prior to the ratification, that Israel must show a commitment to the peace process if Damascus were to re-evaluate its support of the Arab peace initiative. Advertisement According to Moallem, Israeli reluctance to take diplomatic steps towards peace was behind the decision made by Arab League members in Cairo last month that the continuation of the Saudi Peace initiative will hinge upon Israeli cooperation. Moallem made his comments Thursday to Arab foreign ministers, who were meeting in Damascus to prepare for a regional summit scheduled for Saturday. The summit has been riven by deep divisions between Arab leaders, mainly over alleged Syrian meddling in Lebanese affairs. Lebanon has announced it is boycotting the summit, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia have announced they were sending only low-level officials to the gathering in a snub to Syria. During his address, Moallem dismissed accusations that Syria was prolonging the deadlock in Beirut. The majority coalition in a statement addressed to the summit called on the Arab states to put pressure on Syria to establish diplomatic ties with Beirut and abandon its attempts to regain its full control of Lebanon. "Syria wants a stable, sovereign Lebanon. Anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. We are the first to be hurt from a worsening situation in Lebanon and we will be the first to benefit from stability," Moallem said. Moallem denied claims that Syria is preventing a resolution to the crisis, saying that all Arab states with a vested interest in Lebanon should make an effort to resolve the crisis, in particular Saudi Arabia. Abbas says he opposes withdrawal of peace plan Abbas conferred Thursday with Jordan's King Abdullah II on the upcoming Arab summit conference in Damascus, and said he was opposed to the proposed withdrawal of the pan-Arab peace plan with Israel. "There is no room for changing or amending the Arab initiative," Abbas told reporters after the meeting. "Our attitude has always been that this plan should remain as it is and that we should defend it and fight for it because it is an expensive initiative and the other side [Israel] should accept it," he said. The Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa recently raised the possibility of withdrawing the Arab peace blueprint at the Damascus summit if Israel continued to ignore it. An Amman-based coalition of 130 Arab political parties earlier Thursday sent a memorandum to the Damascus summit urging Arab leaders to "withdraw" the peace initiative which envisaged extending recognition to Israel by all Arab states if it pulled out from all Arab lands it occupied in 1967 Six-Day War, including East Jerusalem. Abbas said that his talks with King Abdullah focused on "the Arab summit and what is going to be after the summit", a reference to the impact on inter-Arab ties as a result of declaration by some Arab states that they were going to be represented at low levels. Abbas said earlier that he intended to lead the Palestinian delegation to the summit, but Jordan so far refrained from saying whether King Abdullah would head the Jordanian team. Responding to a question about the outcome of negotiations so far between the Palestinians and Israel, Abbas said "the talks are going on but there have been no agreements until now." During Thursday's talks, King Abdullah expressed support for the Palestinian Authority in its talks with Israel with the avowed aim of reaching a solution to all core issues in the run-up for the setting up of an independent Palestinian state, according to a royal court statement. "The king at the same time underscored the necessity for halting all unilateral policies [by Israel] that seek to impose new realities on the ground, particularly the expansion in building settlements," the statement added. Related articles: Despite rumors of rift, Syria invites Saudi Arabia to Arab summit Arab leaders approve of plan to end Lebanon's political crisis Arab League ministers to meet on Israeli settlement policy Bookmark to del.icio.us   Terror online Israel posts clips on YouTube of J'lem yeshiva terror attack. Remembering Gaza Knesset approves bill to commemorate the Jewish settlements of Gush Katif.   1.   FM Livni to Syria FM: Stop supplying & training Hamas 14:57  |  Don`t print this. 27/03/08   2.   So Let`s Get this Straight... 20:23  |  Erik 27/03/08   3.   Disarm Hizbullah and Hamas then will be peace. 20:42  |  Abu Halil Mustafa 27/03/08   4.   You are almost right Erik 21:00  |  Proud Israeli 27/03/08   5.   Commitment for peace 21:19  |  Marcelo 27/03/08   6.   The Arabs need more of our land as usual 21:24  |  Avi 27/03/08   7.   We won`t surrender to arab terrorists 21:25  |  Wise Saba 27/03/08   8.   Farce proposal 21:29  |  George 27/03/08   9.   Where is the compassion 21:41  |  thomas 27/03/08   10.   Erik and Abu Halil have it right. 21:52  |  Avi 27/03/08   11.   Response to 2 21:56  |  Donald 27/03/08   12.   To: Abu Halil Mustafa 21:57  |  Captain Picard 27/03/08   13.   ISRAEL LOOSES ALOT FOR NOTHING AS USUAL 21:58  |  zionist forever 27/03/08   14.   If Abbas doesn`t want changes he may as well go home 22:02  |  Sam 27/03/08   15.   Re: Erik #2 22:03  |  tim 27/03/08   16.   WOW aren`t we excited!!!! 22:04  |  Gee 27/03/08   17.   SAUDI "PEACE" PLAN IS IN EFFECT A DECLARATION OF WAR 22:20  |  G. Marcus 27/03/08   18.   Partition of Palestine issued in 1948 is the real solution 22:23  |  human rights 27/03/08   19.   #3: Keep dreaming stupid 22:32  |  human rights 27/03/08   20.   recognition 22:48  |  Shmuelshachor 27/03/08   21.   Saudi Peace Initiative 23:12  |  Reid 27/03/08   22.   not one arab to trust 23:19  |  real vision 27/03/08   23.   Promise from the League 23:28  |  Edifice 27/03/08   24.   Israel must show submission to dhimmitude , Is the Damascus Half- 23:36  |  Joseph . E 27/03/08   25.   PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM 23:39  |  Mohamed Malleck 27/03/08   26.   When will the Arabs understand that Israel 23:47  |  Douglas 27/03/08   27.   Israel will be the Great Loser 23:55  |  Avi 27/03/08   28.   5 reasons why "peace" with the Arab states is worthless... 00:19  |  Dr. L. Brnd 28/03/08   29.   The `benefits` of Arab recognition P1 00:28  |  TonyL 28/03/08   30.   douglas kniows nothing 00:30  |  avi 28/03/08   31.   The `benefits` of Arab recognition P2 00:32  |  TonyL 28/03/08   32.   Walid Moallem Not Interested In your Deal 00:33  |  Dish It Out 28/03/08   33.   Arab League Plan Means End of Jewish State 00:36  |  LEO RENNERT 28/03/08   34.   ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA UNDER EGYPT; PARTS OF W.BANK TO JORDAN 00:39  |  G.Marcus 28/03/08   35.   IF YOU TAKE SAUDIS SERIOUSLY YOU LEARNT ZERO FROM PAST 100 YEARS 00:51  |  G.Marcus 28/03/08   36.   The `benefits` of Arab recognition P3 00:52  |  TonyL 28/03/08   37.   The Arab Ultimatum Again? 00:53  |  Jeff Northridge 28/03/08   38.   #6 Avi Zion, Zion uber alles! 00:54  |  Jim 28/03/08   39.   They`re wasting their breath, Israel isn`t interested 00:54  |  peacelover 28/03/08   40.   Before 1967 ... 01:49  |  Axel 28/03/08   41.   Israel needs to respond 01:53  |  peter 28/03/08   42.   # 20 Shmuelshachor 01:57  |  Jim 28/03/08   43.   Jim if you invaded my bailiwick I`d demand damages 12:40  |  x-ray 28/03/08   44.   Thomas says Zion was a man: 12:46  |  x-ray 28/03/08   45.   Human rights joke 12:51  |  x-ray 28/03/08   46.   Douglas in the United Kingdoms 12:55  |  x-ray 28/03/08   47.   Of course King Abdullah would aupport the Palest inian 19:34  |  Dagma 28/03/08   48.   DESPITE SAUDI PEACE PLAN....... 22:32  |  Dagma 28/03/08   49.   The impertinence of the Arabs. 07:56  |  Jean Van Daem 29/03/08

Today Online Dutch MP's anti-Islam film shows clerics' calls to behead Jews Responses: 429 Hamas gets Iranian plans for improved Qassams Responses: 127 Avigdor Lieberman: Israel's minorities must be loyal to the Jewish state Responses: 95 UN: Ex-Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network Responses: 74 Ex-Muslim says converted to Christianity due to Islam's anti-Zionism Responses: 123 Rosner's Domain 38% for pressuring Palestinians, 25% for pressuring Israel (WTR) Bush is still determined not to repeat Clinton's mistakes Poll: what percentage Jews will vote McCain? New pro-Israel-pro-peace dovish lobby ready to launch (WTR) Obama rejects advisor's comments on American Jews and peace process More Headlines 19:47 UN: Former Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network 02:38 Hamas urges Arab states to drop 2002 peace initiative, back violence 22:15 Balad chair: We won't allow another expulsion of Jaffa's Arabs 22:36 Qassam explodes between Negev preschool, children's house 10:43 Ben-Eliezer: Israel trying to revive talks with Syria 22:19 Jewish detractor of Putin disappears from Berlin home 08:39 Avram Grant: the man the Israeli media loves to hate 07:33 Syria: U.S. pressuring Arab leaders to stay away from Arab summit 07:40 Obama: My foreign policy would be like that of elder Bush, JFK, Reagan 15:31 The gospel according to Allam 07:46 ANALYSIS: Isolating Syria serves to highlight its importance 21:31 Three Palestinians killed, 13 hurt in clan violence in Qalqilyah Previous Editions Select Day 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar

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