Livni calls on Arabs to establish dialogue with Israel

Doha: Israeli Foreign minister Tzipi Livni called on Arab countries here on Monday to embrace dialogue with Israel and establish ties following suit on the bilateral talks with Qatar aimed at enhancing diplomatic relations.

"I am here to entend Israel's hand of peace to all Arab countries... our dialogue [between Israel and Qatar] is symbolic of what could be done with other Arab countries," Livni told an international audience of former leaders and policymakers attending the Doha Forum for Democracy, Trade and Development.

"Peace requires compromises on both sides, but in order for the Palestinian leaders to take the necessary, right decisions, they need the support of the Arab leaders and the support of the Arab public opinion... We need a change in the way Israel is perceived by the people in this region. To do this we need dialogue, we need Arab leaders to take some steps, not for the sake of Israel, but for the sake of the Palestinian people."

Livni said peace talks were on-going with the 'moderate Palestinian leaders' following the Annapolis conference and , alluding to the Hamas movement,said there could be no peace with those rejecting the two state solution and using violence.

Livni also launched a proposal to the International Community to set a code of 'democratic standards', saying extremists were abusing the democratic systems to obtain power and impose antidemocratic regimes.

Participants in the audience argued Israel is an occupying power conducting illegal mass arrests and killings of Palestinian civilians. Addressing Livni, they rebuked Israel had created an aparthied system inside its own territory against Israeli-Arabs and non-Jews.

Arab countries offered Israel the Arab peace initiative in 2002 whereby Israel was asked to return occupied lands to the Palestinians and neighbouring States and fulfill other concessions in exchange for comprehensive peace agreements with Arab States and normalisation of ties.