BEIRUT -- Saudi King Fahd, in a letter to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, called Monday for Arab countries to close ranks ahead of their summit in Beirut next month, in a bid to confront Israeli "aggression".

"Our Arab nation now badly needs and insists on a consolidation of brotherly relations, amicable links and cooperation to protect Arab interests and confront challenges faced by our nation, chiefly the Israeli aggression.

"Our nation was capable throughout history to overcome all the troubles that it has faced, and our hopes are great and our confidence is unlimited that ... we will overcome all the current obstacles," he said.

King Fahd hoped that the Arab Summit due to be held March 27-28 in Beirut would help achieve "all the objectives of our nation."

The ailing king has not participated in Arab Summits for several years, and instead sends Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.

The letter was delivered to Lahoud by Saudi State Minister Musaed al-Ayban who arrived in Beirut earlier the same day on a previously unannounced brief visit, declining to speak to reporters, AFP reported.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav offered Monday to visit Riyadh or receive Abdullah in Bait-ul-Moqaddas to discuss a peace initiative by the Saudi crown prince.

The initiative, revealed in the ***New York Times ***earlier this month, involves the Arab world normalizing ties with the 54-year-old Zionist state in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab lands.