Saudi foreign minister calls for Arabs to end Palestinian rifts

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister is urging Arabs to help end inter-Palestinian rifts and re-establish Fatah rule in Gaza. Prince Saud Al-Faisal's remarks came during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo. The top Saudi diplomat didn't elaborate but appeared to back an Egyptian proposal to send Arab troops to the Hamas-ruled Strip. Egypt last week floated the idea of an Arab troop deployment to Gaza to end Hamas's control and re-establish the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority there. Saud told the Cairo gathering that Palestinian factions have a vested interest in keeping the Gaza dispute ongoing. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is to brief the ministers later on peace talks with Israel.