World IN BRIEF : MIDEAST : Arab League Retains Boycott of Israel

The Arab League stood by its economic boycott of Israel despite pleas from the West to drop the sanctions to advance the drive for Middle East peace. After an emergency meeting in Cairo, Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel-Meguid of Egypt told reporters that the 22-member organization would discuss dropping the boycott only after Israel withdrew from all occupied Arab land. But Abdel-Meguid said the league still backs peace negotiations. The boycott, in effect since 1951, bans trade with Israel and foreign companies that do business with the Jewish state.