Arab League postpones Israel talks

MIDDLE EAST:The Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers postponed today's visit to Israel on behalf of the Arab League to discuss the organisation's plan for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Egypt and Jordan, which have peace treaties and diplomatic relations with Israel, comprise a contact group charged with securing support for the plan, adopted in 2002. It calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab territory occupied in 1967 and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees in exchange for full normalisation with Israel.

The plan was initially spurned by Israel, but prime minister Ehud Olmert, who rejects full withdrawal and settlement of Palestinian refugees in Israel, is prepared to discuss it. Members of the group previously met in Cairo with Israeli foreign minister Tzpi Livni.

Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit said the visit had been delayed due to a request by Mr Olmert, whose reason was "private". It was reported in Israel that if the visit had gone ahead as planned it would have coincided with the anniversary of Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon.

But that began on July 12th. Arab analysts say League members accuse Israel of trying to hype and exploit the visit for political gain by claiming implied recognition by the League.

Mr Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, said the encounter has been rescheduled for July 25th, depending on Cairo and Amman. If the visit goes ahead, it will be the first by envoys representing the 22-member Arab League. Furthermore, they are set to meet Mr Olmert in Jerusalem, a highly emotive venue in Arab and Muslim countries, which condemn Israel's conquest and annexation of east Jerusalem.

Arab sources believe the League wants to see if next week's gatherings have positive results.

There will be a meeting of the western and Arab Quartets (the US, UN, EU and Russia, and Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates), a visit from US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and an encounter between Mr Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Saudi Arabia, which declared the League plan had reached a "dead end", is said to have put pressure on Cairo and Amman to postpone.

The Arab Quartet also wants to use the visit to put pressure on Mr Abbas and Fatah to end the rift with Hamas which has divided Palestinians and could undermine efforts to revive talks.