Ramsco's Women Empowerment Initiative Recognized Among Top BRICS Businesswomen Practices for 2025    Egypt, Elsewedy review progress on Ain Sokhna phosphate complex    Gold prices end July with modest gains    Pakistan says successfully concluded 'landmark trade deal' with US    Egypt's FM, US envoy discuss Gaza ceasefire, Iran nuclear talks    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Federal Reserve maintains interest rates    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Egypt, Oman discuss environmental cooperation    Egypt's EDA explores pharma cooperation with Belarus    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Arabs ask Egypt and Jordan to contact Israelis
Published in Daily News Egypt on 19 - 04 - 2007


Reuters
CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers asked Egypt and Jordan on Wednesday to contact Israelis to try to persuade them to accept an Arab peace plan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said.
Egypt and Jordan already have relations with Israel and the Israeli government had hoped that the Arabs would include other Arab governments in the Arab League working group set up to promote the plan with the Jewish state.
But Prince Saud named only Egypt and Jordan as the members of the group which will contact the Israelis. Another working group of eight Arab foreign ministers and the Arab League secretary general will make broader contacts elsewhere.
There is no free normalization [of relations], Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told a joint news conference with the Saudi minister after a special ministerial meeting.
Israeli officials said they would need time to review the decision before issuing a formal response.
It is significant because the Arab League is sending two Arab countries to negotiate with Israel, one government source said. But this is a very long road and they made a very small step at the beginning of it.
The Arab peace plan, relaunched at an Arab summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh last month, offers Israel normal relations with all Arab states in return for land captured in the Middle East war of 1967 and a settlement for Palestinian refugees.
Prince Saud said the mandate for Egypt and Jordan would be to start efforts to put the Arab peace initiative into effect and facilitate a start to direct negotiations.
The Arab ministers had acted on the basis of an Arab League resolution which calls on the Israeli government and Israelis in general to accept the Arab peace plan and seize the opportunity to resume the process of direct and serious negotiations on all tracks , the prince added.
Moussa said the Arab working group could be expanded at a later stage if the Israeli government met a list of Arab demands, including lifting sanctions against the Palestinian government and an end to work on Jewish settlements and on the barrier it is building through the West Bank.
Prince Saud, asked if Saudi Arabia might join when the working group is expanded, said: No.
Egypt and the Arab League have dismissed speculation that the working group will negotiate details of the peace plan with Israel, saying that is up to Arab governments which have territorial claims - Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians.
The Arab peace initiative dates back to an Arab summit in Beirut in 2002 but Israel had rejected the terms as too demanding and the United States showed little interest in it.
The attitude of Israel and the United States has changed in public but analysts say it is not yet clear whether Israel is prepared to be more flexible on final status issues such as the borders of a Palestinian state and Palestinian refugees.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday Israel was ready for talks on the land-for-peace initiative, but Israel made clear it wanted Saudi Arabia and other Arab League members with no formal ties to the Jewish state to take part.
I m ready to sit with them on the basis of the [Saudi-Arab] plan, and I m ready to listen very carefully to their proposal on the basis of this plan and to see how we can work together to ultimately find common ground, Olmert told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.
The countries in the other working group are Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
It will contact the United Nations Security Council, the United States, the European Union, Russia and a wide range of international organizations, Prince Saud said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.