Petra News Agency
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
King: The Arab Peace
Initiative has gained Arab consensus
Amman, April 10 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah II affirmed that the
Israeli people should recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative reflects
collective Arab will to build a peace that puts an end to years of violence and
suffering.
During an interview by Randa Habib, the Director of Agence France Press’s (AFP)
Office in Amman on Tuesday, His Majesty considered that the Arab initiative,
re-adopted by Arab leaders in at the Riyadh Summit, is a unique opportunity in
the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, calling on Israeli to work to convince
their leaders of the need to resume peace negotiations in accordance with this
initiative that guarantees security and stability for all.
In response to a question about Olmert's offer for a summit with Arab leaders,
King Abdullah said “We have not received any official Israeli response, except
for what has appeared in the media. It is crucial here that we choose our words
and phrases clearly and precisely.”
“We are speaking of an Arab Peace Initiative endorsed by Arab leaders at the
summit in Beirut in 2002. They renewed their commitment to all its articles at
the Riyadh Summit. The Israelis have to deal with the initiative seriously and
clearly and demonstrate their intentions to live in security and stability. If
Israeli leaders choose not to, then I think they would neither be serving their
people nor contributing to peace efforts and an end to the core conflict.” King
Abdullah was quoted as saying.
He stressed that under no circumstances can a real peace be reached without
resolving the Palestinian refugee issue, which is one of the sensitive and
crucial issues pointing out that it was addressed in UN General Assembly
Resolution 194 of December 11, 1948 and it was also highlighted by the Arab
Peace Initiative that called for a solution agreed by both sides and is not
imposed by anyone.
The King said that direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on the issue will
constitute a suitable basis for finding a final solution to the Palestinian
refugee issue.
“It is in Israel's interest to adopt the peace proposal offered by the Arabs in
this initiative. Otherwise we will witness more destruction, chaos, frustration
and despair,” He added.
King Abdullah emphasized that Israel, the European states and the US should
realize that the Palestinian issue does not only concern the Palestinians, but
also has the sympathy of all Muslims, pointing out that if Israel wants to
coexist with more than a billion Muslims, it should end its occupation of
Palestinian and Arab lands.
In response to a question about Jordan’s relations with Hamas, His Majesty the
King noted that Jordan support the choice of the Palestinian people and will
continue to support the Palestinian National Authority's efforts to preserve the
unity of the Palestinian people, end the occupation and establish the
independent Palestinian state, stressing that Jordan has always dealt with
institutions and governments, rather than factions and political powers.
Regarding the Iraqi issue, King Abdullah said the important matter is solving
the critical situation in Iraq where the increased threat of violence, tension
and sectarian strife, which already claims hundreds of lives daily, affirming,
in the same context, the necessity of helping the Iraqis achieve national
reconciliation and involving all sectors of Iraqi society in the political
process, and by preserving the unity of Iraq, its territorial integrity and the
future of its people over all personal or sectarian interests.
“Withdrawal from Iraq without setting a timetable and without preparing the
necessary conditions that would ensure a strong central government able to run
the affairs of the state and an Iraqi force able to ensure security and
stability, may only worsen the problem and contribute to increasing violence and
conflict among Iraqis,” said the King.
In response to a question about the possibility of opening dialogue between Arab
states and Iran, King Abdullah went to say “We as Arabs can build strong ties
with our neighboring country, Iran, because what ties the Arab and Iranian
nations is much more than what divides them. We seek mutual relations based on
respect and understanding, not hegemony and interference.”