Jerusalem, March 27: Arab leaders have gathered in Libya ahead of a weekend summit amid a deepening crisis with Israel over its settlement policy in annexed east Jerusalem.
Arab League chief Amr Mussa set the tone by insisting that Israel scrap plans to build 1600 new homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem before indirect talks with the Palestinians can start.
“Indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks depend on freezing settlements and especially on cancelling plans by Israel to build 1600 settlements in (east) Jerusalem,” he said.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was the first leader to arrive in the Mediterranean city of Sirte followed a few hours later by Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, who faces an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.
US-led efforts to revive Palestinian-Israeli talks and Israel’s determination to forge ahead with the construction of new homes for Jewish settlers in mostly Arab east Jerusalem are due to dominate the two-day meeting hosted by maverick Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.
The Arab summit opens amid a spiral of violence in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian militants were killed in clashes near the border with Israel on Friday.
It also comes amid fresh promises by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will not heed calls for an end to settlement construction in east Jerusalem – an issue which has stymied US attempts to restart indirect Middle East peace talks.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also flew in for the summit on Friday and immediately held private and separate talks with Abbas and with Mussa.
On Wednesday, Mr Ban said he will urge Arab leaders to support the US-backed so-called “proximity” talks between Israel and the Palestinians, reiterating that “settlements are illegal under international law” and saying “this must stop”.
—Agencies