RIYADH/RAMALLAH, 29 November - Saudi Arabia and Jordan yesterday reviewed a new initiative to establish peace in the Middle East and affirmed the Palestinians' right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. During their talks in Riyadh, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and King Abdallah of Jordan also denounced the continuing aggression of Israeli occupation forces on unarmed Palestinian civilians. The talks were attended by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation. The crown prince later held a separate meeting with the Jordanian king.
King Abdallah, who arrived here in the evening, was accompanied by Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb and Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Al-Khateeb. The two sides also discussed the current international campaign to combat terrorism and promote world peace.
In the West Bank, US envoy Anthony Zinni told Israel and the Palestinians at the end of his first round of Middle East talks that their people had suffered enough and it was time to end 14 months of fighting.
"We need to end the violence and we need to get back on the track toward peace," Zinni told reporters after meeting Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at the traditional meal to break the daily fast during Ramadan.
Hours later, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on the Jewish settlement of Gilo from nearby hills in the West Bank - a frequent flashpoint during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
Israelis consider Gilo a neighborhood of Jerusalem even though it was built on land occupied by Israel in the Middle East war in 1967 and was annexed in a move not recognized internationally. No casualties were reported, but the shooting underscored the formidable obstacles Zinni faces.
The retired US Marine Corps general, also toured the West Bank by car for a closer look at Jewish settlements, one of the main sources of friction in the conflict.
Zinni, whose talks with Israeli leaders on Tuesday were overshadowed by a deadly shooting spree, said the tour gave him the chance "to see the difficulty presented to the Palestinians" by the conflict. "I think both sides have suffered far too much in the last months and I think it is time for change," Zinni said at a news conference in the West Bank city in Ramallah.
