Israel seeking ties with more Arab states

[bemildred]

Israeli FM says his country is seeking diplomatic relations with 10 more Arab countries.

JERUSALEM - Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Monday that Israel was seeking to develop diplomatic relations with 10 more Arab countries as top-level ties with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan resume.

"We have already established diplomatic relations, at the level of ambassador, with Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania and I am in touch with other Arab countries ... at least another 10 can have a diplomatic representation in Israel," he told public radio.

Shalom was speaking after the Israeli cabinet on Sunday endorsed next summer's planned withdrawal from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and another four in the West Bank.

Middle East Online

[Coastie for Truth]

1. Individual Israel-Arab Ties Are Growing In Medicine, Technology, Science

I have seen it in Bangalore, in Silicon Valley and the labs of the Boston-Richmond Corridor, and the Ann Arbor-Dearborn-Warren-Auburn Hills Metroplex, and Redmond WA.

The "joke" out here in Silly Valley is that some of the Palestinian expat-Israeli expat senior management teams are claiming credit for the present cease fire and negotiations

[Igel]

2. Good. n/t

[egbtpl]

3. That would have been solved

by accepting the Saudi peace plan. Except, in exchange for full peace and normalized relations with the Arab world, Israel would have had to return to the 1967 borders. I guess that part was unacceptable.

[eyl]

4. Which Saudi plan?

The original? Or the plan which was actually set forth, after the Arab League worked over it, which mandated the right of return (which was the main unacceptable part)