News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) The head of the Arab League called Sunday for the United States to recruit international sponsors for a peace conference proposed on July 16 by U.S. President George W. Bush.

“We have suggested that the Quartet (comprised of the U.S., Russia, European Union and United Nations) should take the initiative…or it should be in the framework of the [U.N.] Security Council,” said Amr Moussa.  The Arab League chief added that the conference should be focused on concrete action to establish a Palestinian Authority state and not diplomatic niceties. 

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates are set to meet Tuesday in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh with a group of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the proposal.