Speaking at a news conference with visiting German Chancellor
and current EU president Angela Merkel on Sunday evening, Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called for a regional conference
involving Israel and all Arab leaders, including the king of Saudi
Arabia.
"I want to take this opportunity of being here with the European
Union president in order to invite all Arab leaders," he said to
reporters.
"I am addressing all heads of Arab countries in announcing that
should the Saudi king initiates a meeting and invite both me and
Palestinian (National) Authority Chairman (Mahmoud Abbas), I would
be glad to go there and speak my mind," Olmert said.
This positive development followed a joint call by the United
States and Egypt which asked Israel to agree to talks with a
committee of Arab states on reviving the stalled Mideast peace
process, diplomats explained.
Last week saw the Arab League bring back to the table a 2002
peace plan which, if respected, would grant Israel full recognition
if the Jewish state should withdraw from all captured territories
and negotiate on the Palestinian refugees issue.
Olmert welcomed the decision, saying it was an encouraging turn
by Arab states, but refused some parts of it. He further denied the
existence of a joint US-Israel plan to attack Iran over the summer,
dismissing it "a false and baseless rumor."
"I hope that no one operates on the basis of unfounded rumors in
order to create a move which could drag us to a violent conflict
without any reason," the prime minister said.
Merkel, having landed in Jerusalem on Saturday before visiting
Lebanon, promised to work for the release of the kidnapped Israeli
soldiers.
During her first Middle East tour as EU president, Merkel also
met with Abbas.
Referring to negotiations with Palestine, Merkel stated that
Germany would use this chance, but pointed out that conditions were
not present until the Hamas section of the the Palestinian unity
government agreed to the Quartet conditions of recognizing Israel,
renouncing violence and respecting previous peace deals.
The chancellor also said that full support from Arab states was
vital to any peace process.
On Sunday morning, Merkel briefed Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni, saying that Europe would aim to renew international efforts
towards peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but that
ultimately the two sides would have to resolve their differences
themselves.
(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2007)
