State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the U.S. government views a proposal by Saudi Arabia to settle the Middle East conflict and normalize relations between Israel and the Arab world as a "significant and positive step."

"Certainly, if Saudi Arabia is willing to reach out to Israel to talk about peace and normalization of relations, then that is a significant and positive step," Boucher said at his daily noon briefing in Washington February 19.

"The crucial first step remains for Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to arrest terrorists and to dismantle the terrorist organizations that continue to carry out attacks against Israel," Boucher said.

The New York Times reported Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah's proposal would include Israel's withdrawal from all territory it occupied in the 1967 war and the normalization of Arab-Israeli relations.

"We've always supported the idea of negotiations within the framework of Resolutions 242, 338, and the concept of land for peace," Boucher said. He said the details of any agreement would have to be decided in negotiations by the parties.

Following is an excerpt from Boucher's February 19 briefing containing his comments about the Saudi proposal:

(begin excerpt)

Question: Do you have a position on the -- I guess what's being called in The New York Times a "Saudi proposal" for Middle East, withdrawal to the 1967 borders with the Israelis?

Mr. Boucher: Well, we saw the statements over the weekend by Crown Prince Abdullah. Certainly, if Saudi Arabia is willing to reach out to Israel to talk about peace and normalization of relations, then that is a significant and positive step. The reports highlight the importance of not giving up on Arab-Israeli peace, and the critical need to do everything we can to help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We'll continue to talk to the Saudis and others about how to help the parties end the violence and resume the political process. As the President has made clear, and as the Secretary said in Louisville, that's the only way to realize the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

The crucial first step remains for Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to arrest terrorists and to dismantle the terrorist organizations that continue to carry out attacks against Israel.

Question: Do you have any more on the specifics of the proposal, though, that it would basically have the Israelis retreat to the 1967 borders? And there's been some concerns, I guess, about the holy sites, the Jewish holy sites, being out of Israeli sovereignty?

Mr. Boucher: No, I don't have anything more on specifics at this point. We have always supported the idea of negotiations within the framework of Resolutions 242, 338 and the concept of Land-for-Peace. That's the vision that the Secretary announced, discussed in his speech in Louisville. So our position on the question of any specifics would have to be that it's subject to negotiation by the parties.

(end excerpt)

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