AMMAN, May 10, 2007 (WAFA) - King Abdullah II of Jordan affirmed, for a number of Israeli opinion leaders and peace activists, the need to work quickly to benefit from the dwindling opportunity for peace in the region and to promote the Arab peace initiative among the Israelis.

This was during a brief meeting on Thursday for His Majesty with those activists during a meeting convened by former Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali, Head of the Arab Future Center for Democracy and Peace Studies, in Amman to discuss setting up an agenda for action to reactivate the peace process and to promote Arab Peace Initiative in preparation for an extended meeting called by Dr. Majali to be held next week that will gather them with their Jordanian and Palestinian counterparts.

Those activists brought together academics and representatives of research centers and institutions of a civil society concerned with peace, in addition to former and present members of the Israeli Knesset.

For his part, Majali said "It is our challenge today to work in partnership to revive the peace process, if not on the agendas of politicians then in the hearts of our people first."

He added that no can do that better than the champions and pioneers who believe in the possibility and the inevitability of political negotiations in achieving a final status settlement and resolving once and for all the Arab Israeli conflict.

"I hope your voice and your choice will be heard by the Israeli public and that you can help us as partners and friends to put our effort together in a common endeavor that would advance the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. This is the central and crucial aspect of the historic conflict between Israel and the Arab states. Its resolution will move us all much closer to resolving the wider Arab Israeli conflict and to building the peace that Israel, the Arab states and the Muslim world have long deserved."

He affirmed Jordan believes that a peace process that establishes an independent Palestinian state is a core element for its national security and its national interest, adding that "It is our hope that our friends in Israel and our brothers in Palestine are not driven away from this goal which is ours to share and defend."

Majali stressed the Arab peace initiative is again another bold decision from the Arabs that needs to be met by a similar one from the Israeli side that would strengthen us, the Peace Advocates. It is a proposal that can help move forward through the narrow of opportunity this summer.

This initiative can provide the political support and commitment by Arabs to help Palestinian and Israeli negotiators reach difficult decisions and push for groundbreaking agreements in which all parties are winners, he stated.

"Let us determine in this gathering how our efforts and our experiences can be put together to advance the noble cause of reviving the Palestinian Israeli peace process to continue where we had failed and build on what we had achieved." Majali concluded.

A.D (23.15P) (20.15GMT)