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 ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - This week's gathering of Arab leaders won't open the doors to establishing ties with Israel because of opposition from Syria and other hard-line countries. Still, some Arab nations are moving forward with a more welcoming stance on peace.
Some had predicted the summit, which opens Tuesday, would be "historic" in dealing with rapid changes in the Middle East: huge demonstrations in Lebanon and a Syrian military pullback there, new optimism in the peace process and increasing pressure for democratic change.
In the end, it won't be so daring. Arab League leaders are largely avoiding the issues of Lebanon and democratic reform, and they rejected Jordan's proposal for a new peace strategy that would offer Israel normal relations and drop the traditional demand that it first return Arab lands. Instead, they're likely to pay lip service to Syria's concerns about U.S. pressure and consider reform of the Arab League itself.
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