Petra News Agency
Thursday, April 23, 2009
King interviewed by National
Public Radio in the U.S.
Washington, April 23(Petra)- His Majesty King Abdullah II said on Wednesday that
the US President Barack Obama is not only committed to an agenda to bring
Israelis and Palestinians closer together in his efforts to achieve peace, but
is also looking more to a regional approach that will hopefully bring together
all the parties concerned.
Speaking during an interview with National Public Radio in the US, King Abdullah
said Israeli initiatives to having economic peace will not solve the core
problem, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He stressed that if such an approach is going to be a substitute for a two-state
solution, then it's never going to work.
He stressed that the majority of Palestinians and Israelis still wants a
negotiated settlement adding that the Arab Peace Initiative is the most modern
proposal in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
"It is including Israel to be a partner in the world with a third of the world
that does not recognize it today," he added.
King Abdullah said that the crossroads that Israel will have in 2009 is "does it
want to be apart of the neighborhood or does it want to continue to be fortress
Israel.
" In response to a question about challenges to peace, King Abdullah said it was
important to remain optimistic.
"If we are discouraged that means that we've given up.
I think for generations to come up, that would be a disaster if we do," he said.