Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister called today for joint Arab action to face what he called Israel’s “flagrant challenge” on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
Israel’s moves to extend its law and services to the West Bank and to build new settlements make up the main point on the agenda of a meeting of foreign ministers that opened opened here today at the Arab League headquarters.
The Saudi minister, Prince Saud al
Faisal, who is chairman of the Arab League’s Ministerial Council, called for a coordinated plan against the Israeli measures.
Syria’s Foreign Minister, Abdel Halim Khaddam, was much more explicit, urging an Arab campaign to drive Israel from the United Nations. Speaking behind closed doors at a meeting of the Political Committee, Mr. Khaddam also called for an Arab summit meeting next month.
The foreign ministers are also holding a series of informal meetings outside the Arab League gathering to discuss controversial issues that probably would not win full support of the 21 Arab League members.
Three major topics are under discussion at the closed meetings, according to official Egyptians. They are:
A common Arab position on peace talks in Geneva to be presented by the foreign ministers of the so‐called “frontline countries”—Egypt, Syria and Jordan —who are to meet with President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus R Vance later this month.
A joint Arab strategy to be followed in the event efforts to reconvene the Geneva peace conference fail.
Continued efforts to find a formula to enable the opening of a direct dialogue between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the United States.
The foreign ministers are expected to conclude their discussions on the principal political issues by tomorrow night. The council, minus the ministers, will continue its meeting all next week and there are about 50 items on the agenda, according to Arab League sources.
