The re-launch of the 2002 Beirut initiative presents a new opportunity for peace at last, writes Ibrahim Nafie The Arab ministerial committee on the Arab peace initiative is forming a delegation to explain the Arab point of view to the world. The committee has also asked Egypt and Jordan to get in touch with Israel to discuss ways of moving forward. The committee is going to meet again in mid-June to assess the situation, all of which is quite unprecedented. In terms of the resolve, flexibility and willingness to stay the course, Arab countries are turning over a new leaf. And you can sense the difference already. For example, Syria is aboard, cooperating closely with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Talks are about to open with the US administration, the EU, and other major powers. Our position is clear: full normalisation with Israel in return for the Israel's withdrawal from all territories occupied in June 1967. Should this happen, Israel would become just another country in the region, fully integrated and at peace with its neighbours. This is a fresh start. It used to be that Arab countries would come up with ideas then fail to explain these ideas to the world. As a result, the world's view about the region was mostly shaped by Israel's ideas and Arab initiatives ended up collecting dust. Israel was able to sidetrack Arab ideas without being seen as the one holding peace back. This is changing. Arab countries have learned from the 2002 experience when they first launched their initiative in Beirut. So when they decided to revive the initiative in Riyadh last month they made a point of backing their intentions with pro-active diplomacy. And yet the Arabs are not offering Israel normalisation for free. This is why they have asked Egypt and Jordan to talk to Israel. The Arabs, however, are offering Israel certain incentives. Should Israel show seriousness in pursuing the initiative, the Arabs would send a larger delegation to the talks. The non-conventional diplomacy is paying off. Public opinion in Israel is taking note of the Arab initiative, as recent polls indicate. A majority of Israelis support the initiative and want their government to act in good faith. Israeli analysts and writers have called on the Olmert government to view the initiative as a genuine opportunity. The Arabs are doing business differently. Decades ago, we used to start out rejecting more than we needed to reject and ended up accepting more than we needed to accept. Now we're staying the course, calibrating our moves, and talking to all those concerned. Let's keep things this way. Let's keep the momentum going. We need to discuss things further with the International Quartet. We need to explain the merits of the initiative to the world. And we need to break the current blockade on the Palestinian government.
