Key leaders absent from Arab summit

Lebanon's Palestinian refugees support the intifada

An Arab summit to discuss a Saudi peace plan for the Middle East has opened in Beirut, with the Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders all staying away.

The summit was opened amid tight security by Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abul-Ragheb, who criticised Israel and said he supported the peace proposal.

The initiative sends a clear message to the whole world that the Arabs want peace... and that Israel is the one that is putting obstacles in its way

Prime Minister Ali Abul-Ragheb

The Saudi plan offers Israel normal relations with Arab states in return for a complete withdrawal from all the territory it has occupied since 1967.

Correspondents say even if the delegates endorse the proposal, it will carry little weight with the absence of the key Arab leaders.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat decided not to attend the summit after Israel refused to drop its conditions for lifting a travel ban that has kept him in the West Bank since December.

Egyptian stand

Israel is demanding that Mr Arafat declare a ceasefire before being allowed freedom of movement.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told reporters in Cairo that he made a sudden decision to stay away to show solidarity with Mr Arafat.

He said he had also advised the Palestinian leader not to go to the summit because there were no guarantees that the Israelis would allow him back to the Palestinian territories.

	Reported Saudi proposals Israel must: Withdraw from land seized in 1967: the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights Agree solution for Palestinian refugees Accept independent Palestine with Jerusalem as capital Arab states will: Consider Arab-Israeli conflict over Agree peace treaty for region Establish normal relations with Israel See also:  Peace plan in detail  Prince behind the proposals

He added that he no longer had any confidence in the Israelis.

Our correspondent in Cairo, Heba Saleh, said Mr Mubarak refused to criticise the US for not exerting more pressure on Israel. But she said that his decision not to go to Beirut was probably a message to Washington as well as Israel.

The US relies on Egypt and Jordan - both of which have signed peace treaties with Israel - to have a moderating influence on other Arab leaders.

Jordan's King Abdullah II decided not to attend the summit a few hours before it opened, without giving a reason.

Reading a speech on his behalf, the Jordanian prime minister said the Saudi initiative constituted "a corner-stone of a comprehensive peace in the region, and that Israel is putting obstacles in its way".

"The Palestinian leader's absence from this summit required us all to provide more support and backing to the Palestinian brethren in facing Israeli arrogance," Mr Abul-Ragheb said.

He said Mr Arafat was the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and urged Arabs to confront "any attempts to marginalise, weaken or substitute" him.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed to the summit to throw its weight behind the peace initiative and urged the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to renounce violence.

Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is expected to reveal the details of the peace plan in a speech on Wednesday.

The United States has backed the plan and put pressure on Israel to allow Mr Arafat to attend the summit.

The BBC's Washington correspondent says American officials fear that with such notable absentees, there will be a hardening of attitudes at the talks.

Many people in the region and in the international community had hoped that the plan, which has been backed by US President George Bush, would provide a definite breakthrough.

Violence

In continuing violence overnight, the Israeli army says it killed two Palestinians as they were attempting to enter an area occupied by its troops in the Gaza Strip overnight.

A military spokesman said two Israeli soldiers were wounded in the encounter.

In a separate incident, Palestinian hospital officials say four Palestinians were wounded in an exchange of gunfire at Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip.

The Israeli army said it had entered the Palestinian town to search for weapons-smuggling routes.