Diplomats: U.S., Egypt propose Israel start talks with Arab states

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The United States and Egypt have proposed that Israel agree to quickly start talks with a committee of Arab states on how to move the peace process forward, diplomats involved in the matter said on Sunday.

While generally welcoming the peace initiative endorsed by Arab leaders at a summit last week in Saudi Arabia, Israel has called several key components problematic and has been noncommital about how to proceed.

In weekend talks with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and other officials, Washington and Cairo proposed that Israel agree to take part "as soon as possible" in a meeting with a working group approved by the Arab summit that could begin negotiating a possible agreement.

"Arab League countries would talk formally and publicly as a collective with Israel," one diplomat said, calling the effort unprecedented in its potential scope. Talks in the past have generally been on a bilateral basis, the diplomat said.

Haaretz

[The Magistrate]

1. Worse Ideas Have Been Proposed, My Friend

Not only proposed, but acted upon....

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2. Seemed like a good thing to me, Sir.

Talking is always better than fighting in my book, assuming one has the choice.

[The Magistrate]

3. Indeed, Sir

Nor does doing one preclude doing the other.

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4. Saying "Nice doggie" while feeling around for a good size rock?

And who knows, the dog might decide not to chew your leg.
:-)