JERUSALEM (AFP-EJP)--- Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in the Middle East on Sunday, seeking to bring a fresh outlook to the peace process on a trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan.
   

His official programme begins on Monday with a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres, followed by talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni.   

On Tuesday he will visit the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian leaders, before travelling to Jordan on Wednesday.   

Lula's visit, the first to the region by a Brazilian head of state, comes days after Israel's controversial decision on new housing construction in east Jerusalem and as the new Security Council non-permanent member seeks a voice in efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
   

Before leaving Brazil, Lula said in an interview the Middle East peace effort needs "someone with neutrality to speak the truth to the Israelis, to tell the truth to Palestinians, Iranians, Syrians, and whoever wants to hear the truth."   

While in the region Lula is also expected to reiterate Brasilia's stance on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, which major Western powers fear may be a cover for a covert atomic arms project, despite Tehran's strenuous denials.   

Lula has made it clear he considers Iranian participation a key to peace efforts in the Middle East. He visited Tehran in May last year and in turn welcomed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Brazil in November.   

Earlier this month, Lula told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton it is "not prudent to push Iran into a corner. It is prudent to make it so that Iran continues to negotiate."   

Prior to his visit to Israel and the PA, Lula da Silva tried to organize a friendly soccer match between the Brazilian national team, and Israeli and Palestinian players.

 However, the Palestinian Authority rejected the offer, stating that now is not the time given the impasse in peace negotiations.