Saudi King Abdullah
Photo: AP
Arab League summit in Riyadh
Photo: AFP
Saudi: Israel should accept 2002 deal
Israel should withdraw from Arab territory and allow creation of Palestinian state before Arabs recognize it, a Saudi official says in kingdom's first comment since Israeli prime minister invited Arab leaders to discuss their ideas for peace with him
Israel
should withdraw from Arab territory and allow the creation of a Palestinian state before Arabs recognize it, a Saudi official said Monday in the kingdom's first comment since Israel's prime minister invited Arab leaders to discuss their ideas for peace with him.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday specifically called on Saudi Arabia to take the lead, the first time Israel has made such a request of the Saudis, who maintain a state of war with Israel but are pushing for a peace deal.
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The Saudi official told The Associated Press that "before any meeting could be considered," Israel should accept the 2002 Arab peace initiative that would recognize Israel in exchange for withdrawal from captured territory and a just solution for the Palestinian refugees. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
At a summit in Saudi Arabia last week, the Arab League renewed its commitment to the peace initiative, which was initially proposed by Saudi Arabia. Olmert welcomed the decision but said Israel did not accept all parts of the plan.
He said that if King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia were to invite him, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and moderate Arab leaders to a meeting "to present Saudi Arabia's ideas before us, we will come to hear them and be glad to offer our ideas."
Egypt's assistant foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hani Khallaf, was quoted as saying Monday that the Arab side cannot negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians. The Jordanian government did not make any immediate comments.
Siniora: It's important to establish real peace
Syria had no immediate comment to the latest Israeli offer. At a meeting with Olmert on Sunday, the Israeli premier asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take a message to Syrian President Bashar Assad that if Syria stops its support for terrorism, Israel would be interested in making peace.In a March 22 interview with French television, Assad said seeking peace with Israel is a "firm principle," but stressed that the return of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, was a Syrian right that would not be compromised.
"The land must be returned in full. Any other details are subject to negotiations but land is not. It is Syrian land," he said.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, responding in Beirut to a question on Olmert's call, said the Arab peace initiative was "based on the very principle of land for peace. And this is something that Israel has to understand."
Siniora said Israel's use of military force and launching wars on Lebanon and Arab countries did not bring peace.
"Therefore, I think it's about time for the Israelis to realize that eventually it is important to establish real peace in the region and accept the Arab peace initiative in its entirety," Siniora said.
Almost every Israeli prime minister has called for peace talks with moderate Arab leaders over the years, but the only multinational forum was the 1991 Madrid conference, which was followed by secret Israeli-Palestinian contacts and a series of interim peace accords.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Olmert should agree to the Arab peace initiative.
"I think if he accepts the Arab peace initiative, it would open the way to many conferences, not one," he said.
