Arab League foreign ministers have convened an emergency meeting in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss how to respond to the escalating Israeli - Palestinian conflict. 

The ministers of the 22-member organization are expected to consider a new effort by the United States to secure a cease-fire in the region. President Bush has stepped up U.S. involvement in the crisis and has called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Palestinian areas. The United States also recently voted with other U.N. Security Council members calling for Israel to pull back its troops. 

The Arab League meeting comes amid demonstrations in several countries against the Israeli military campaign. Several thousand people held protests in French and German cities Saturday, one day after similar demonstrations in a number of Arab countries. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP. 

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