President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic said Sunday that he would initiate formation of a Latin-American coalition to establish a new mediating body between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which would take an active role next to the United States. Speaking at the end of a three-day conference on the Arab-Israeli conflict, held at the Caribean resort of Cap Cana, the host country's leader said, "The time has come that the American continent, including more than 550 million residents in its territory, take an active, more significant role in an attempt to bring a solution to the conflict via international mediation."
Israel was represented at the conference by Members of Knesset and former parliamentarians Ahmed Tibi, Yossi Beilin, Colette Avital, Haaretz columnist Akiva Eldar and reserve general Daniel Rothschild, who was involved in negotiating agreements with Jordan and the PLO. It was initiated by former Palestinian Authority representative in Washington, DC, Hassan Rahman. The PA was represented, except for Hamas. Other entities included, Egypt, Jordan, the U.S., Mexico, Argentina and Chile. It essentially endorsed the Arab peace plan calling for Israel to return to the borders before the Six-Day War of 1967 and establish a PA state in the territories that were liberated back then.