Israeli leaders are giving serious consideration to a peace plan proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002. The plan represents the most comprehensive diplomatic solution to date regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in that it would confer formal recognition of the State of Israel by not only Saudi Arabia, but states throughout the Arab world in exchange for Israel giving back land taken in the 1967 War: the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Israeli Labour Party Leader and Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israeli Army radio, “There is definitely room to introduce a comprehensive Israeli plan to counter the Saudi plan that would be the basis for a discussion on overall regional peace”. Barak also said he had discussed the plan with Prime Minister-Elect Tzipi Livni.

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Remember when oil reached its high of nearly $150 a barrel back in July?  Well, the price has been quietly falling since then (or, maybe loudly, I don’t know, I just hadn’t heard anything about it), and today the price closed at $103.20 a barrel.  And OPEC is not happy.  The cartel met last night and, deciding prices needed to stay above $100 a barrel, stated they would cut production by 500,000 barrels a day.

And Saudi Arabia said no.  According to The New York Times, in June King Abdullah assured “that his country would pump at full tilt to bring prices down.”  Last month, the nation produced 9.7 million barrels a day to drive down prices.  Even now, Saudi Arabia is producing 9.5 million barrels a day, 600,000 more than its quota.  OPEC surprisingly went against the nation last night when it stated it would cut production by 500,000 barrels a day to keep prices up.  Almost immediately, as early as this morning, the Saudis were already assuring everyone that they would not be cutting production.

Why are the Saudis doing this?

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Saudi Arabia’s religious police have banned selling dogs and cats and walking them in public. The head of the religious police said the ban was due to:

“the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families … [and] violating proper behavior in public squares and malls.”

Guess I’m going to have to figure out a new way to approach women next time I vacation in Riyadh…

takepart by following the progress of a renewable energy bill in Congress.

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Sudan Leader Charged with Genocide: What Are the Reactions? by Wendy Cohen

Inconvenient Truth of the Day: Al Gore Speaks on Climate Change by Joshua Tremblay

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Nicole Hughes:

“Farms in the Sky” a Solution to Global Food Crisis?

Wal-Mart Launches Eco-Bling Project

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Andy Kondrat:

NYC To Bring in 300 Hybrid Taxis Per Month

Coolio To Educate Students On Climate Change

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Jon Popham:

Pickens’ Plan for Energy Independence

On “Rent” Closing, the East Village, and Gentrification

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Gina Telaroli:

Batman Morals: Top 5 Lessons from the Capped Crusader’s Films

Emmy Nominations Kick “The Wire” to the Curb

T. Boone Pickens has a plan for energy independence in the United States and he’s putting his money where his mouth is to promote it.   The Billionaire Texas Oil Man and investor has been one of the loudest voices warning of peak oil for years now, but now he’s taking his push for alternative sources of energy for the USA a step further with Pickens Plan.  

Pickens’ numbers cannot be disputed (And why would we?  We’re arguing for the same thing on here every day.).   The United States now imports 70% of its oil - up from a mere 24% in 1970.  At today’s prices we are currently sending $700 Billion dollars overseas for the oil we need to run our economy, which is four times the annual cost of the Iraq War.   Over the next ten years the projected cost for the oil we will import at present levels will be $10 Trillion, which will be the largest transfer of wealth in human history.  

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Thanks to Feministing.org who so often leads me to great stories like this one about Wajeha Al-Huwaider, a women’s rights activist in Saudi Arabia marked International Women’s Day this past weekend by defying the ban on women. Not only that, but she video taped the action and posted it on YouTube!

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Movie theaters may be banned in Saudi Arabia but very soon Saudi’s will be able to see some films as part of the country’s first ever film festival, giving Saudi filmmakers a chance to recognized in their own country, instead of abroad where most of their support comes from:

There have been smaller and informal movie screenings in recent years but the contest, to be underwritten by the government, will mark the first time film critics from the region will be invited to take part, the Arab News said.

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By Giulia Rozzi

A woman in Saudi Arabia accused seven men of rape and she is the one who is punished!?

The woman, known there only as “the Qatif girl, ” was initially subjected to 90 lashes for being alone with a man to whom she was not married.
Outraged,her human rights lawyer appealed the sentence which only doubled the woman’s sentence and stripped her lawyer of his license to practice.

Wait, a minute are we living in 2007? What? How? Why?! Not only has this woman been violated by these alleged rapists but she is being violated by her own country!

Now the case is being appealed to the Kingdom’s highest court and activists are demanding that the judiciary system be examined.

For more on human rights campaigns around the world visit www.hrw.org