Olmert expects Arab countries to move toward ties after conference

Hours before the Annapolis peace summit, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that he expected that Arab countries would start putting out feelers toward ties with Israel after the meeting. According to Army Radio, Olmert told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that "in this way, [the Arab countries] can show that they support the peace process." Olmert met with Ban in his hotel in Washington.