CAIRO: The Arab League s head on Monday urged the Palestinian president to reconsider stepping down from his position. Amr Moussa's request comes as Arab foreign ministers are meeting this week to review their commitment to a 2002 peace initiative offering Israel recognition in exchange for withdrawal from Arab land. Arab countries are concerned that Mahmoud Abbas resignation will create a Palestinian political vacuum and result in the collapse of the fragile Palestinian Authority. Abbas said Thursday said he is not running in January s election, highlighting a deep Palestinian despair over failed peace initiatives and skepticism about US efforts to relaunch the stalled process. He should not step down and the Palestinian arena has already enough problems, Amr Moussa said in a statement. Arab foreign ministers will meet on Thursday to review Arab strategy on the Middle East talks. They will discuss the frozen peace efforts in view of the Israeli practices and the retreat of the American role, Moussa said. Moussa did not elaborate but Arab diplomats said the ministers will discuss whether Arabs should hold on with a 2002 Arab peace plan that offered Israel recognition in exchange for all Arab land lost in the 1967 Mideast war. Obama has spearheaded renewed efforts to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table, but key sticking points remain. The Palestinians say talks should resume where they left off, and want a complete freeze of Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. Israel has agreed to slow settlement building, but has rejected a total halt to construction. Arab officials has been questioning whether the US had tilted toward Israel and abandoned its position that continued Israel settlements are illegitimate and must be brought to a full stop.
