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U.S. President Barack Obama is due to address the region in a speech in Cairo next month and foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference are due to meet in Syria on May 23.

An Arab peace initiative, backed by leading U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, offers Israel normal relations with the 22 countries of the Arab League in return for returning lands to Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians.

Israel has reacted coldly to the plan, citing concerns over the return of Palestinian refugees.

Among Arab states, only Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania have diplomatic relations with Israel. Most Muslim countries avoid political, economic ties and even diplomatic ties.

The Jordanian monarch, who met Obama in Washington last month, said Obama was committed to seeing a Palestinian state.

"I was encouraged by the president's commitment to the two-state solution," he said. "I was encouraged that in all my conversations in Washington, it was clear that people know - inaction is not an option."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat later said he hopes Netanyahu will heed calls to endorse a two-state solution.

"I hope the king's words will not fall on deaf ears," Erekat said.


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