A historic meeting between the Arab League and Israel to break the deadlock in the peace process has just taken place. This is the first time that the Arab League, which has pursued a hostile policy towards Israel for decades, has engaged in a formal and open meeting with Israel. The Arab League does not recognise the state of Israel. It imposed an economic boycott against the  Zionist goods and services even   before Israel was established in  1948. Ever since, its official policy to Israel has remained unchanged. Yet, individual members of the Arab League have pursued independent policies towards Israel. Countries like Egypt and Jordan, for instance, came around to extending recognition to Israel. Others traded quietly with the Jewish state. The meeting between the Arab League and Israel represents a milestone as it is based on a shift in the organisation approach from one that was officially hostile to one that is based on diplomatic engagement.

At the meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, the Arab League’s representatives reportedly put forward a peace plan that provides for full Arab recognition of Israel in return for an Israeli withdrawal from lands occupied in the 1967 war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem. This was a plan that evoked a cool response from the Israelis in 2002 when it was first proposed by the Arabs. But of late, Israel has signalled interest in the plan, raising hopes for the future of the peace initiative.

The Arab League’s new willingness to do business with Israel can yield a solution to the West Asia problem only if Tel Aviv is also flexible in its approach. Peace processes require reciprocity. They can progress only if both sides concede ground to make a compromise solution possible. The Israel-Arab League meeting is the first exploratory step. But remaining engaged at the negotiating table and backing this with change in the ground situation could be the beginning of a new era in the region. West Asia has witnessed several “new dawns”’. Sceptics will therefore brush aside the meeting as yet another non-starter. However, this is an opportunity. It holds out the prospect of breaking the deadlock, if not achieving a solution.