[Al Arabiya Latest] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak opened talks here Monday as pressure builds on the U.S. administration to launch a new peace push to break a deadlock between Israel and Arab countries.Mubarak started talks with Jewish leaders and was later to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Tuesday, Mubarak -- who had tense ties with President George W. Bush -- holds his first White House summit in five years.
President Barack Obama has shown new deference to the octogenarian Egyptian leader, with his administration saying it wanted to consult with him before launching any major new initiative in the Middle East.
But U.S. hopes to push forward the peace plan before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts later this week look increasingly slim as Israel and Arab states both insist that the other make the first move.