Arab League proposes Palestinian-Israeli peace talks

CAIRO, Egypt -- The Arab League called Sunday for an international peace conference with Israel, and diplomats said the Hamas-led Palestinian government accepted.\nForeign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, of the ruling Hamas group, endorsed a statement by Arab foreign ministers calling for a peace conference during a meeting in Cairo, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.\nThe endorsement was the first time Hamas, which has refused to recognize Israel and renounce violence against the Jewish state, has indicated it would consider making amends with Israel.\n"The ministers call to convene a peace conference attended by Arab parties, Israel and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council in order to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict on all tracks according to international resolutions and the principal of 'land for peace,'" the Arab League statement said. Arabs want Hamas to endorse a 2002 Arab initiative that trades peace with Israel with land seized by the Jewish state in the Middle East 1967 war.\nMark Regev, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry, said he was not aware of the conference proposal but said Hamas could not be a party to talks with Israel unless it met the international community's stipulations that it recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.