Tel Aviv - In a unique move to reach out to the Israeli public, the Palestinian Authority published advertisements in Israel's three leading dailies Thursday, promoting the so-called Arab Peace Plan of 2002.

The full-page advert, written in Hebrew and bordered by the flags of 57 Muslim states, attempts to explain details of the plan, under the headline that "57 Arab and Muslim countries will establish diplomatic ties and normal relations with Israel, in return for a full peace agreement and an end to the occupation."

Tel Aviv, Nov. 20: The Israeli Air Force has said that it is ready to attack Iran's suspected nuclear weapons project if diplomacy fails to persuade that country to halt uranium enrichment.

Fox News quoted Air Force Commander Ido Nehushtan as telling the German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview: "We are prepared and ready to do whatever Israel needs us to do and if this is the mission we''re given, then we are ready."

A strike against Iran's nuclear facilities "is a political decision," the IAF commander said, "but if I understand it correctly, all options are on the table ... The Air Force is a very robust and flexible force. We are ready to do whatever is demanded of us."

Amman - The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Karen AbuZayd, on Wednesday urged donor countries to contribute "significant additional pledges" to enable the agency to come to grips with "a grave and imminent financial crisis".

AbuZayd made the appeal during the concluding session of a two-day meeting in Amman that brought together donors and host governments, NGOs and other UNRWA stakeholders.

Washington  - Barack Obama spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday as the president-elect continues to return phone calls from leaders congratulating him on winning the White House.

The Obama transition team did not disclose details of Obama's conversation with Abbas.

Obama has vowed that he will continue to work for Israeli- Palestinian peace. He telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert two days after the November 4 election.

Tehran - The Iranian parliament on Tuesday approved Sadeq Mahsouli, a former university lecturer, as interior minister, Tehran radio reported.

Mahsouli, 49, an ideological ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, received the support of 138 of the 273 deputies voting at the confirmation hearing, the report said.

Mahsouli is replacing Ali Kordan, who was dismissed by parliament last week for having presented the lawmakers a faked Oxford University honorary doctorate.

The interior minister is directly in charge of the presidential elections scheduled for June, in which Ahmadinejad is to seek a second term in office.

Amman  - Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir met Monday with a visiting delegation of German lawmakers and stressed Berlin's role in pushing forward the peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

"The minister underscored the importance of the European Union's role, particularly that of Germany, both on the international and regional levels, in spurring the Middle East peace process and giving a hand to the Palestinians and Israelis to enable them reach a peace agreement," a Foreign Ministry statement said.