March 7, 2002	Thursday	Zilhaj 22, 1422

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JERUSALEM, March 6: Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Wednesday called on Saudi Arabia to formally present its Middle East peace proposal to Israel, either in public or in private.

The United States, along with a number of other governments, has lauded the initiative from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who has proposed supporting full Arab ties with Israel in exchange for total Israeli withdrawal from territory it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.

The Israeli government, led by the hardline Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, is categorically opposed to any such withdrawal, but has nevertheless expressed interest in the Saudi proposal.

“I congratulate Saudi Arabia’s initiative and we are all ready to meet the Saudis in secret, in public or have indirect contact with them,” Peres said.

“We cannot react to the proposal’s content since we haven’t yet been presented with the plan,” he said, adding that Israel is ready to negotiate.

According to Riyadh, the Crown Prince’s plan also includes support for the right of return of Palestinian refugees, including an estimated 3.7 million displaced refugees and their future descendants.