AL QUDS, March 10: A change in the Saudi Middle East peace proposals from offering Israel “full normalization” with Arab countries would mean the end of the plan, an Israeli official said Sunday.

Avi Pazner, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was reacting to reports from Cairo that Riyadh was now calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land in return for “complete peace” with Arab states, rather than “full normalization” of relations.

“The only new element was the offer of normalization as part of a peace agreement. If there is no further mention of this, nothing will remain of the initiative” disclosed last month by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, he said.—AFP