'UNITE AGAINST ISRAELI CHALLENGE'

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon met in Beirut in a rare summit and urged Arab countries to stand united to confront the Israeli challenge. They also called for intensive efforts to establish a just and lasting peace settlement in the Middle East.Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad visited Beirut and met President Michel Suleiman and other Lebanese leaders in an unprecedented show of solidarity in a bid to defuse tensions over reports of an impending indictment of members of Hezbollah for Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s murder. The leaders urged Lebanese parties to avoid resorting to violence. “The leaders stressed the importance of stability... the commitment not to resort to violence and the need to place the country’s interest above all sectarian interests,” said a communique issued by the Lebanese presidency after the summit.