In addition to meeting Obama, Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, House
Speaker ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8055105.stm
King of Jordan's Suggestion:
var csvSymbolIds = "";
var quoteLink = "true";
SWEIMEH, Jordan, - Jordan's King Abdullah used a speech at an economic forum
on Friday to push the idea of expanding an Arab initiative for peace with
Israel to include the entire Muslim world.
The U.S.-allied king told the Times of London this week that U.S. President
Barack Obama wanted to promote a peace plan involving all Muslim countries and
not just Arab nations.
Obama is due to address the region in a speech in Cairo next month and foreign
ministers of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference are due to
meet in Syria on May 23.
Israel's new government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted
international pressure to commit to the idea of establishing a Palestinian
state alongside Israel on territories it seized in 1967.
An Arab peace initiative, backed by leading U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and Jordan, offers Israel normal relations with the 22 countries of the
Arab League in return for returning lands to Lebanon, Syria and the
Palestinians.
Israel has reacted coldly to the plan, citing concerns over the return of
Palestinian refugees. Palestinians this week have commemorated the fighting in
1948 that caused at least 700,000 Palestinians to lose their homes in territory
that is now part of Israel. Israel sees the fighting as its war of independence.
"The Arab peace initiative has offered Israel a place in the neighbourhood and
more -- acceptance by 57 nations, the one-third of the U.N. members that do not
recognise Israel," King Abdullah told a World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan.
"This is true security -- security that barriers and armed forces cannot
bring," he said.
Among Arab states, only Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania have diplomatic relations
with Israel. Most Muslim countries avoid political, economic ties and even
diplomatic ties.
The Jordanian monarch, who met Obama in Washington last month, said Obama was
committed to seeing a Palestinian state.
"I was encouraged by the president's commitment to the two-state solution," he
said. "I was encouraged that in all my conversations in Washington, it was
clear that people know -- inaction is not an option."
The historic conflict is seen by many analysts as a major factor that has held
back economic development in some parts of the Arab world for decades and a key
factor driving militancy. (Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Dominic Evans)
