Sudan envoy calls for Arab summit on Israel-Palestinian peace

Aug 7, 2006 (CAIRO) — A Sudanese presidential adviser on Monday called for an emergency Arab summit to resume discussions on the stalled Middle East peace process for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mustafa Osman Ismail said after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that the Arab League summit should deal with “practical ideas to support Lebanon and create a situation capable of moving on the peace process.”

Ismail also said the summit should concentrate on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “which is the core of every problem…and if the West is really interested in ending the violence and the struggle, then the Arab-Israeli conflict should be solved.”

He didn’t provide details on when and where the proposed Arab League summit should take place.

Ismail said ending the Palestinian conflict also would lead to solving the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, which entered its 27th day Monday, and would improve Syria’s relations with Israel.

Yemen last week withdrew its call for an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the Lebanese crisis after too few of the league’s 22 members agreed to it.

The Sudanese envoy also plans to visit Kuwait, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to discuss his summit plans.

(AP/ST)