King Abdullah: don't miss peace chance

Jordan's king warned Wednesday that it would be a "serious mistake" to miss the chance for an Israel-Palestinian peace this year, as called for by U.S. President George W. Bush. King Abdullah II said that the Middle East must "move out of this threat zone" and that the single most important step for the region is to have a "comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict."

The monarch's remarks came at the meeting of 29 Nobel prize winners gathered in the ancient city of Petra, built by Nabateans some 2000 years ago, where the Nobel Laureates are to discuss over two days issues such as the global food crisis, economic development and education.

Abdullah said that once there is a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the region would become one that is "unified, at peace, and ready to move forward. This work, the work of peace and progress, should have all our support", the king added, and cautioned that "unprecedented dangers" remain, with extremism that "feeds on violence and frustration."

Participants at the Petra conference included laureates such as Israeli President Shimon Peres, Jewish author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama. © GPD AP