Arabs to relaunch peace plan, Israel upbeat

[oberliner]

RIYADH, March 26 (Reuters) - Arab states agreed on Monday to relaunch a five-year-old peace plan with Israel at their summit this week, a move which could help renewed U.N and U.S. efforts to revive peace talks.

The peace plan offers Israel normal ties with Arab states in return for full withdrawal from land it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel rejected the plan in 2002, but is more upbeat about peace prospects now it is to be relaunched.

The United Nations also suggested gathering Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states at a meeting to try to revive peace talks and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shuttled between the sides on Monday to try to bring them closer.

"The Arabs have agreed to reactivate the Arab initiative without changes. We reiterated that all Arab nations will adhere to the initiative as it is," Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib told Reuters after a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Saudi capital.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2617807.htm

There does seem to be a little bit of momentum going, doesn't there?