JERUSALEM: Israel’s lead peace negotiator Tzipi Livni Tuesday praised as “important” a concession by the Arab League that Israel and the Palestinians could trade land in a bid to move the peace process forward.

“This is very good news,” she told army radio.

“It’s definitely an important step — I welcome it,” said Livni a day after top Arab League officials said for the first time they would accept the concept of land swaps in the context of an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.

“The things that were said last night were very positive,” she said.

“It’s a very important steps so I hail the Arab League and its representatives who were in Washington on this step.”

In a separate interview with Israel’s private Channel 2 television, she said Israel should be cautious over accepting the deal, but added: “What we can welcome is the direction and the step that the Arab world is taking today.”

She said Israel was looking for anything which would break the current stalemate which has persisted since direct talks broke down in September 2010 over a thorny dispute about Israeli settlement building.

“Let’s talk about it — we are ready for changes, something which will allow the Palestinians, I hope, to enter the (negotiating) room and make the necessary compromises,” she said.

“It also gives a message to Israeli citizens: it is no longer just us ... talking with the Palestinians, there is a group of Arab states who are saying: you reach an agreement with the Palestinians and we will make peace with you, we will have normalization with you.”