Amman, Jordan — Arab leaders at their first regular summit in 10 years pledged strong support Tuesday for the Palestinian uprising against Israel.
But the leaders from the 22-member Arab League are still trying to forge the same unity over Iraq, whose 1990 invasion of Kuwait shattered Arab ranks and led to Iraq's international isolation.
In speech after speech, the Arab leaders praised the 6-month-old Palestinian uprising. And some including Syria and Lebanon harshly rebuked Israel.
Even President Bashar Assad of Syria, whose country has had bumpy relations with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, backed the Palestinians. And he criticized Israel for electing Ariel Sharon as prime minister.
"To know the reality of the coming peace, it is necessary to know the reality of the Israeli street," Assad said in impromptu remarks interrupting the official text of his speech. "It is a racist society and more racist than Nazism."
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi surprised the gathering by proposing that Israel join the 22-nation Arab League, saying that was the only way to contain the Jewish state, according to an Arab diplomat who attended the meeting. At his request, Gadhafi's speech was not broadcast live with those of the other leaders who took the podium Tuesday.
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