Israel and Arab ministers meet on peace plan

By Aziz El-Kaissouni

CAIRO (Reuters) - Israel and Arab ministers with a mandate from the Arab League discussed a Middle East peace plan on Thursday for the first time since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, acting as an Arab League working group, briefed Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Cairo on an Arab peace offer which had languished since 2002, repeatedly rejected by the Israelis.

The Arab League asked them to brief Livni after Israel and the United States this year showed belated interest in the peace plan, which offers Israel normal relations with all Arab states in return for withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders.

Although the 90-minute meeting was unprecedented, each side was careful not to make any commitments to the other.

Israel has not accepted the Arab peace plan and the Arab League made sure that the only foreign ministers in the working group were from countries that already recognise Israel.

An Arab League spokesman drew a distinction between contacts with the ministers and direct contact with the league.

"We have made clear that there are conditions for us sending a delegation to meet the Israelis," said spokesman Alaa Roushdy.

The Egyptian minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said: "We do not intend to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the parties. The parties concerned are the ones who will negotiate with Israel, whether Palestinians, or Syria or Lebanon."