RECOGNITION IS THE WHOLE ENCHILADA:

Riyadh gives talks with Israel cautious welcome (Mark Tran, August 1, 2007, Guardian Unlimited)

Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and a conference attended by both countries would be a considerable breakthrough for US diplomacy.

Earlier this year, the Saudis revived a peace proposal that offered Israel full diplomatic ties with 22 Arab countries in return for a withdrawal from Arab territories occupied in 1967.

"I said before that we are interested in a peace conference that deals with the substantive matters of peace, the issues of real substance and not form or insubstantive issues," the Saudi foreign minister said.

Form is substance. By showing up at the meeting the Arabs give Israel everything it wants out of the "negotiations."

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 1, 2007 11:31 AM