Economic forum sparks peace talks

NEW YORK -- Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said he saw "a ray of hope" for Mideast peace Sunday, as the World Economic Forum focused on resolving long-standing global conflicts. \nThe 16-month Israel-Palestinian fighting took the spotlight at a panel that was supposed to be devoted to future political, social and economic trends likely to shape the world. Participants at another session on the forum's fourth day talked about how to move the stalled Northern Ireland peace process forward. \nPeres welcomed an opinion piece by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Sunday's New York Times, saying it marked the first time he indicated a readiness to discuss key issues and expressed determination "to put an end" to the activities of terrorist organizations attacking Israeli civilians. \n"I believe that despite all the very pessimistic views, there is also a ray of hope," he said. \nNew talks with the Palestinians could lead to a cease fire, Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state and Palestinian recognition of Israel's right to exist, Peres said. And eventually a final settlement could be reached on the most contentious issues of borders, refugees, settlements and Jerusalem, he added. \n"The plan that we are now discussing is stop the war, then recognize immediately the establishment of a Palestinian state," Peres said, but he added that Arafat must first stop suicide attacks on Israelis. \nIn Israel Sunday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced he would continue cease-fire talks begun last week with the Palestinians. \nBut some critics interpreted the comments by Sharon and Arafat largely as public relations efforts by a pair of leaders facing mounting difficulties. Israel has confined Arafat to the West Bank town of Ramallah for the past two months, and the U.S. has demanded that the Palestinian leader do more to crack down on militants. \nAt the forum, U.S. Sen. Hillar Clinton, D-New York, said the U.S. "remains not only an honest broker but an essential broker."\nBut she said the Bush administration is not doing enough to push the process forward. \nFormer U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski echoed Clinton's assessment, saying the U.S. has pursued a policy of being "a very cautious mediator" and hasn't gotten to "the heart of the problem." \nAbout 2,700 participants at the five-day economic forum -- ranging from corporate leaders to celebrities -- are discussing U.S. foreign policy, its possible role in breeding terrorism and the down side of globalization. The topics are ample fodder for protesters, who continued the demonstrations with a march supporting animal rights Sunday afternoon.