The ball is in Israel's court because Syria is sincere and Israel has not proved a sincere intention

Bashr al-Assad

Syria has called on Arab countries need to join efforts to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel.

The last Arab summit took place in Cairo four years ago.

Wider peace

The Syrian leader said peace talks with Israel could resume if the Israeli's made the first move.

"The ball is in Israel's court because Syria is sincere and Israel has not proved a sincere intention or the possibility of Israeli institutions taking a brave and sincere decision to realise peace.

"The signs we see, the latest one being what is happening in Jerusalem, mean we cannot conclude that the circumstances are right. We cannot separate what happens in Jerusalem from what happens on the Golan," Mr Assad said.

Mr Assad says he is ready to talk to Israel but...

Talks between the two countries broke off in January after Syria demanded the return of the Golan Heights captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.

The call for a summit has been welcomed by the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Jordanian Government.

Jordan's Foreign Minister, Abdulilah al-Khatib, said such a summit would serve "the interests of the Arab nation in this extremely sensitive phase".

Both countries have called for a tripartite committee of Israel, Palestine and the United States to investigate the worst outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine in four years.