His Majesty King Abdullah II called on Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative which gave Israel guarantees to live in peace and security with its Arab neighbors in exchange for the restoration of Palestinian rights, particularly the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian soil.
King Abdullah was speaking during a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni. During the meeting, he said Israelis, Palestinians and the international community must seize the opportunity to end decades of Arab-Israeli conflict by responding to peace- making proposals based on the Initiative and the Road Map.
The King reviewed with Livni upcoming political and diplomatic efforts to revive peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. For her part, Livni said Israelwas convinced that the peace process would result in the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel.
The King earlier received Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, as part of a series of official meetings on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. Discussion focused on efforts to realize the Red-Dead canal project. The joint effort by Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, is being proposed in an attempt to revive the Dead Sea.