Bush Asks Israel to Permit Arafat at Arab Summit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 26, 2002

Bush Asks Israel to Permit Arafat at Arab Summit

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U.S. President Bush urged Arab nations Monday to approve a Saudi peace offer to Israel and asked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to let Yasser Arafat join an Arab League summit where the U.S.-backed initiative may be considered.

"The president believes it is time for Arab nations in the region to seize the moment, to create a better environment for peace to take root," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said of the meeting that opens Wednesday in Beirut, Lebanon.

Bush welcomes the proposal by Crown Prince Abdullah, and "he thinks it would be very helpful in the search for peace in the Middle East," Fleischer said.

The Saudi offer to Israel of "full normalization" of relations with Arab governments depends on Israel giving up the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights and accepting a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.

Leaning on Israel to drop its confinement of Arafat to his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah, Fleischer said "the president believes that Prime Minister Sharon and the Israel government should give serious consideration to allowing Yasser Arafat to attend."

Secretary of State Colin Powell pressed the point in telephone conversations with Sharon Saturday and Sunday, saying also that Arafat should be permitted to go back to the West Bank after the Arab League meeting.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has called Israel's hold on the West Bank and Gaza illegal, also urged Sharon to let Arafat attend the Arab summit.

Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said at the United Nations that Annan would meet Arafat if the Palestinian leader were to be allowed to go to Beirut.

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