Peres urges Arabs to negotiate with Israel on peace plan
The Nobel peace laureate told them that Israel would make a counter-offer to the Saudi-drafted blueprint first adopted in 2002 and relaunched at an Arab summit in March.
But he gave no firm timeframe for the counter-proposal, drawing questions from Arab League chief Amr Mussa about the Israeli government's seriousness.
"The Arab League has proposed. Fine. We shall make a counter-proposal," Peres said during a panel discussion on Arab-Israeli relations at the Middle East World Economic Forum that Mussa also addressed. "Let's sit together, air out our differences. If you are serious and we are serious, let's sit together."
The Arab plan offers Israel normalization of relations in return for a full withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in 1967 and resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue.
Israel rejected the blueprint wholesale when it was first unveiled but has since warmed to the draft as a basis for negotiation, provided there are changes on the refugee issue.
"You must understand that you cannot send us a document and say -- take it or leave it. It's not done," Peres said.
He said Israel would draw up a counter-proposal "as soon as possible," but despite repeated questioning declined to be more specific. Mussa said that if the Israeli government was genuine in its expressed readiness to discuss the peace plan, "we are all in business."
On Friday, he dismissed as a mere "gimmick" repeated comments by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he is ready to meet Arab leaders to discuss the plan provided the talks are held without preconditions.
Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel and even pro-Western Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have a public policy of no contacts with it.
"Until now we have no answer coming from the Israeli side... no plan, no policy, that we can interpret as a hand stretched out for peace," said Mussa.
At their March summit, Arab heads of state charged Egypt and Jordan with holding preliminary talks with Israel about the peace blueprint. King Abdullah II of Jordan told the three-day forum that the initiative was an "historic opportunity to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement."
"It is in the interest of this entire region -- and indeed, the world -- that we succeed," he said.
At a later meeting with Peres, King Abdullah said that Israel "should work to build confidence in dealing with the Palestinians in order to revive the peace process based on the Arab peace plan," a royal court statement said.
Around 1,000 participants from some 50 countries attended the annual forum which ended on Sunday, and which will be held in Egypt next year. Jordan will again host the gathering in 2009.