Arabs said open to peace offer changes
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister suggests Arab leaders would be willing to consider changes in 2002 peace offer to Israel to make it 'compatible' with new developments
Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal's comments came before Arab League foreign ministers agreed to revive a five-year-old plan for peace with Israel and called for contacts with all players in the Middle East peace process - including the Jewish state.
"The Arab foreign ministers approved the Arab peace plan without amendment and in its initial form," Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah Khatib said, referring to the blueprint first adopted at a summit in Beirut in 2002.
Arab leaders have, until now, publicly rejected Israeli calls for them to make changes to a 2002 Arab peace offer as a first step toward ending the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
But al-Faisal, in his opening remarks, suggested change was under consideration.
"It is expected from us to take notice of new developments, which require additions and developments in whatever is offered from our leaders about the issues and problems — in order for our resolutions to be compatible with what is dire and new," al-Faisal said.
"The kingdom is keen that this summit should come out with one Arab voice toward issues of destiny and in particular the Palestinian issue," he said.
Seeking fresh ideas
Several other Arab diplomats said privately Monday that the Arab leaders were seeking fresh ideas for a way to moderate their position without being seen as giving in to Israeli or American demands to change the 2002 offer.The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, said Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia would be proposing "a repackaging" of the deal.
Under that repackaging, the Arab leaders would insist that Israel accept the 2002 Arab peace plan in principle before returning to any talks, but also would agree that the Palestinians and Arab countries would be ready to soften their conditions once negotiations began, the diplomats said.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who met Sunday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on Monday welcomed the idea of a regional summit with moderate Arab leaders, saying he "would not hesitate" to attend.
But Olmert denied press reports that a major summit was in the works.
AFP contributed to the report
