Arab League Chief Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process May Fail

The Arab League chief says Arab states must prepare for the possibility that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians may be a complete failure.

The league's secretary-general, Amr Moussa, made the remarks during his opening address at a summit of Arab nations in the Libyan city of Sirte Saturday.

The Israeli-Palestinian crisis tops the agenda for the two-day summit.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the league Saturday and urged members to support efforts to move the peace process forward.

Mr. Ban urged the foreign ministers to present positive proposals to help resolve core issues between Israelis and Palestinians.  He said negotiations are the only way to reach a two-state solution.

The United States has offered to mediate indirect Israeli-Arab peace talks.  But the effort has been hampered by Israel's announcement that it plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.  Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.