Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said Friday there is no hostility between Iraq and Israel, however at this stage he has no intention of meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the U.N. summit in New York or initiating a gesture following Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip.
"Unlike Pakistan, which is a Muslim but not Arab country, Iraq is an active member in the Arab League and committed to the decisions of the Arab summit in Beirut," Talabani said, referring to the Saudi offer to recognize Israel and normalize its ties with the Arab World on condition it retreat to 1967 borders.
"Once Israel accepts the initiative, adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut and presented by King Fahd, as a condition for diplomatic relations, at that exact moment Iraq will normalize relations with Israel," he said in Washington, Ynetnews reported.
