Mahathir hinted in his speech at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit that the Palestinians should drop all violence against the Israelis and negotiate even if the terms are unfair.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa al-Thani, opened the summit by calling on the international community to provide protection for the Palestinians and a condemnation of Israel's decision to expel Arafat.

He repeated the standard OIC line that Israel should pull out from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Syria's Golan heights and territories claimed by Lebanon, for peace to be achieved.

Support for the Palestinian cause is a central tenet of the OIC, which was formed in 1969 after the burning of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Syrian President Bachar al-Assad said: "The persecution, which Israel is practising against the Palestinian people... has naturally to invite a Palestinian reaction that took the form of resistance which is a legitimate act of self-defence safeguarded by the UN Charter."

Of the Muslim leaders who spoke in the opening session, only Mahathir deviated from the usual OIC line on the 50-year Arab-Israeli conflict.

"I am aware that all these ideas will not be popular. Those who are angry would want to reject it out of hand. They would even want to silence anyone who makes or supports this line of action."

"They would want to send more young men and women to make the supreme sacrifice. But where will all these lead to? Certainly not victory. Over the past 50 years of fighting in Palestine we have not achieved any result. We have in fact worsened our situation."

He said the Muslims' holy book, the Koran, "tells us that when the enemy sues for peace we must react positively. True, the treaty offered is not favourable to us. But we can negotiate."

It was not clear to which treaty he was referring. The Palestinians accepted in June the US-designed international plan known as the "roadmap" for Middle East peace, which provides for a Palestinian state by 2005.

Mahathir called on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression in Europe. "We cannot fight them through brawn alone, we must use our brains also."

Initial reaction to his speech was positive. "I think it was a very shrewd, very deep assessment of the situation," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. "I hope the Islamic countries will be able to follow this roadmap. This one is a good roadmap by the way."

Arab League chief Amr Mussa also voiced support for Mahathir's comments, adding that the Islamic states have already said they wanted peace.

The draft resolution approved by OIC foreign ministers, obtained by AFP, did not reflect the Malaysian leader's views. Rather it pays tribute to the three-year "heroic uprising" against Israel.

It also condemns Israel for its "continuing crimes, slaughters and its repressive acts against the Palestinian people".

It applauds the "legitimate leadership commanded by president Yasser Arafat in the face of Israeli aggression" and demands the immediate lifting of restrictions imposed against Arafat and the Palestinian people.

Israel and its ally the United States have been attempting to sideline Arafat in favour of other Palestinian leaders it considers more moderate and Israel has threatened to "remove" Arafat after previously placing him under siege in his Ramallah headquarters.

The 57-member OIC will ask the European Union, Russia, the UN and the United States to continue working towards peace in the Middle East and implementation of the roadmap, the draft says.

And it demands Israel stop "aggression, killing, destruction and violation of holy Islamic and Christian places" and reaffirms its goal of achieving an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.