New Delhi, Jan. 30 -- Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit defended Arab states' decision to support the US-led Board of Peace on Gaza, saying it offered a rare opening for a ceasefire after repeated diplomatic efforts had failed to stop the fighting.

Setting out the Arab League's broader regional approach during the interaction, Aboul Gheit, speaking on Friday at a public event hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and moderated by former diplomat Talmiz Ahmad, said Gulf countries have consistently opposed military escalation and advocated diplomatic solutions.

Providing context for Arab backing of the Gaza initiative, he said, "We have had a president in Washington who admitted that he was a Zionist himself. He supp...