Arab-South American summit worries US, Israel

Next week's unprecedented summit between South American and Arab leaders is meant to boost trade and investment but has prompted US and Israeli concerns it could tacitly back groups they term terrorist organisations.

Host Brazil, which like several Latin American countries has a large Arab community, proposed the summit as part of its drive to be a regional diplomatic power and voice for the developing world.

The gathering of leaders from 11 South American states and 22 Arab states, the first summit of its kind, is billed as a means to reduce dependence on the United States and Europe and strengthen alliances in forums like the World Trade Organisation and United Nations.

Arab nations have pushed issues like terrorism, Iraq and Palestine onto the agenda, according to diplomatic sources.

A draft of the summit declaration obtained by Reuters said the participants will support "the rights of states and peoples to resist foreign occupation."

It expressed concern over US sanctions on Syria and said terrorism "in all its forms" must be combated through international cooperation.

The draft called for an international conference to be held under UN auspices to define terrorism - an idea that might lead to contradictions with US views on groups like Lebanon's Hizbollah guerillas and Palestinian Hamas militants.

"We would be concerned about anything in a declaration that could be misinterpreted as providing justification or support for terrorism," a US official in Washington said.

The Israeli Embassy in Brazil said in a statement "the positions and worries of Israel regarding the summit have been expressed" to Brazil and other South American governments.

Brazil said the summit would support a peaceful solution to the Middle East problem, but solutions always must consider justice for all peoples in the region.

"Obviously the positions these countries take won't please everyone," said Vera Pedrosa, an undersecretary at Brazil's Foreign Ministry, who helped draft the declaration.

But Ms Pedrosa added: "There is nothing frightening about this meeting for any country, no one is going to invent a new solution (for Middle East problems)."

Arab leaders have denied an anti-US or Israeli goal.

"We are against the policies of Israel, not against Israel itself," Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa said during a visit to Brasilia last month to plan the gathering. "The meeting isn't against anyone."

On a visit to Brasilia on Monday, Israeli Vice Defence Minister Zeev Boim told Brazilian officials the Middle East peace process needed support, rather than criticism.