Israel is attempting to begin "initial exploratory talks" with member states of the Arab League, on the basis of a new attempt to bring peace to the Middle East called the "Arab Initiative," also known as the "Saudi Initiative."
High ranking officials stated Sunday, in leaks to the media, that Israel is trying to open talks with Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, in the hope of convincing the Arab League to "tone down" its opening demands, including the demand that Israel accept an influx of Arabs into its pre-1967 borders.
The Arab plan, originally adopted in 2002 and reconfirmed in 2007, calles for peace and normalization of relations between Israel and all of the Arab states in exchange for "full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967… a just solution to the Palestinian Refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194" and "the establishment of a Sovereign Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
A diplomatic source said that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke with her Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, on Passover Eve, and that he told her the Arab League intends to invite Israel to a "working group" on the Arab Initiative, the idea being to hold multilateral talks on the so-called "core issues" of the conflict (Jerusalem, the influx of Arabs to Israel, final borders). Livni is to fly to Amman, Jordan, at a later phase, and meet her Jordanian counterpart.
Reportedly, Livni did not confirm Israel would attend but did say the idea sounded "interesting" and asked for further details. Among other things, the source said, Israel wants clarifications on the framework within which the talks are to be held, how they will be defined and who will participate.
A senior diplomatic source said Israel insists that the talks not be referred to as "negotiations," but as "contacts" intended to find out where the sides stand regarding the issues. Reuters news agency Saturday claimed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed in principle to the idea of exploratory talks within working groups.
Olmert is to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Sunday at 13:00, in Olmert's Jerusalem residence. Joining the talks for the first time will be Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz. The matter of the Arab Initiative will reportedly be high on their agenda.
Livni is to fly to Amman, Jordan, at a later phase, and meet her Jordanian counterpart, Abed Al-Ilah Khatib. She will inform him of the agreements reached with Abbas and give him Israel's formal agreement to participate in the working group.
Speaking with Arutz Sheva English radio, the head of the Likud Party's Jewish Leadership faction Moshe Feiglin expressed hope that Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni would not sell more Israeli interests "just to create an illusion that they have some kind of an agenda with the Arab countries to get the Jewish State out of the dead end that they got us into." "Basically, what they are trying to do," noted Feiglin, "is to make the impression that they know what they are doing and know where they are going. I think every citizen in Israel understands that these guys are stuck, and these talks are not going to achieve anything but make an impression." Feiglin expressed concern that the Israeli leaders appearence at the summit will cost the Jewish State "senseless" concessions.
No diplomatic source in Israel has stated if Israel will agree to talk to Arab countries before a cessation of all terror attacks for a defined period of time is achieved. Some observers have noted that Israel should take of advantage of the invitation to advance basic demands and refuse any contacts until the almost daily Kassam rocket bombardment of southern Israel and attempts to dispatch suicide bombers into Israel come to a halt. Continued incitement to war on the PA's media stations is also not on the agenda, as far as can be gleaned from the diplomatic leaks.