Discord overshadows Arab summit

Arafat will now be allowed to address the summit

The first day of talks at a summit of Arab leaders in Beirut has ended in acrimony and confusion, throwing into question the endorsement of a Saudi Arabian peace initiative for the Middle East.

However the US has praised the Saudi peace proposals and called on other countries to build on them.

At the summit, which has been marked by the absence of key players, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah said the Arab world would offer Israel normal relations if Israel pulled out of all Arab land it occupied in 1967.

The president urges other leaders to build on the Crown Prince's ideas to address the cause of peace in the troubled region

White House spokeswoman

But he added that Israel must also recognise a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Although there appeared to be general backing for the plan, there were disagreements over Lebanon's blocking of a speech that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was due to deliver via a satellite link from the West Bank.

The Palestinian delegation at the summit walked out in protest on Wednesday, while the United Arab Emirates announced it was reducing the level of its delegation in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Following lengthy negotiations, the Palestinians later agreed they would rejoin the summit on Thursday after assurances that a recording of Mr Arafat's speech would be transmitted.

'Positive step'

In spite of the disagreements, Mr Arafat, welcomed the Saudi plan, describing it as courageous.

"We hope that it becomes a group Arab initiative in favour of the peace of the brave," he said speaking on the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television station.

The Palestinian delegation pulled out of the talks

President Bush considered the proposals "a positive step forward to bringing peace to the region", a White House spokeswoman said.

But correspondents say even if the delegates endorse the Saudi proposal, it will carry little weight with the absence of the key Arab leaders, such as the Egyptian president and the Jordanian king.

Mr Arafat decided not to attend the summit after Israel refused to drop its conditions for lifting a travel ban that has confined him to the West Bank since December.

Israel is demanding that Mr Arafat declare a ceasefire before lifting the ban.

Egyptian stand

Announcing his plan, Prince Abdullah said: "I propose that the Arab League present a collective programme to the [UN] Security Council based on normal relationships and security to Israel and parallel with an independent Palestinian country with its capital Jerusalem and the right of Palestinian people to come back to their homeland."

Crown Prince Abdullah's proposals have been welcomed
	Saudi proposals Israel must: Withdraw from land seized in 1967: the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights Agree right of return 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

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

The BBC's correspondent in Cairo, Heba Saleh, said Mr Mubarak's stand was also likely to be intended as a message to Washington.

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 at the last minute without giving a reason.

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

In continuing violence overnight, the Israeli army says it killed two armed Palestinians near Kibbutz Kisufim, near the Gaza strip.

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.