Jordan Times
Friday, March 26, 2010
Arab states to reendorse peace
initiative at summit
By Mohammed Ghazal
SIRTE, Libya - His Majesty King Abdullah will head to Libya on Friday to take
part in the 22nd Arab Summit, slated to be held in the Mediterranean city of
Sirte on Saturday, according to a Royal Court statement.
In Sirte on Thursday, Arab foreign ministers renewed their commitment to the
Arab Peace Initiative as they looked into a plan to salvage Jerusalem in light
of Israel’s defiance of a settlement freeze.
The 2002 peace overture adopted by the Arab leaders at their summit in Beirut in
2002 is still on the table in spite of the continued Israeli violations such as
settlements, the demolition of houses in Jerusalem and violations at Al Aqsa
Mosque, Arab League Spokesman Hisham Yousef said in response to a question by
The Jordan Times following a meeting of Arab foreign ministers.
According to the summit’s draft resolution, the Arab leaders will renew their
commitment to peace as a strategic option but will condition the resumption of
stalled Palestinian-Israeli talks, which came to an end following the Israeli
aggression on the Gaza Strip in late 2008, on a freeze in settlement activity.
The 2002 peace overture offers Israel collective Arab recognition in exchange
for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the 1967 war, the
establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and a
just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh on Thursday underlined that the Arab
Summit is held this year in light of a “very dangerous” situation that imposes a
real threat to occupied East Jerusalem, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
During the meeting of Arab foreign ministers, Judeh cited His Majesty’s
reiteration in an interview with the chief editors of five major dailies on
Wednesday that Jerusalem is a red line and that the Kingdom will continue to
safeguard the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city.
The minister said that King Abdullah warned several times that Israel is
“playing with fire” and that Jordan condemns all Israeli measures that seek to
alter the identity of the holy city and empty it of its Muslim and Christian
residents.
At the two-day Arab Summit, the first hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi,
the Arab leaders are scheduled to endorse an action plan to rescue Jerusalem in
light of continued Israeli aggression.
The plan entails providing financial and political support at all levels to
protect Jerusalem from attempts to Judaise the city and change its character,
according to the early draft resolution for Saturday’s summit.
A legal committee will also be formed within the Arab League to follow up and
document attempts by Israel to Judaise Jerusalem, according to the plan, which
also stipulates filing lawsuits against Israel.
Yousef said the Arab Peace Initiative and Israeli aggression are among the most
important topics to be discussed at the Arab Summit.
“At our meeting today, we also rejected all illegal Israeli measures that seek
to threaten Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem,” Yousef said.
A Syrian initiative to draw up mechanisms to settle Arab differences will also
be discussed at the summit in Sirte, whose streets were decked with banners
reading: “No time for differences, it is time for joint action to realise the
joint future; Arab integration is the way to make progress; The interest of the
Ummah [Arab nation] rises above all differences.”
Asked about a Palestinian proposal slated for discussion at the meeting to
increase financial support extended by the Arab states to Jerusalem from $150
million to $500 million, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh Al Malki said it is
up to the leaders at the summit to decide on this issue.
“I do not think that $500 million is what Jerusalem deserves; it deserves much
more than this,” said the minister, noting that $500 million is negligible
compared to Israel’s expenditures on settlements in the holy city, which Israeli
studies say have amounted to $17.5 billion over the past few years.
At the summit, the Arabs are set to condemn excavation works near Al Aqsa Mosque
and attempts to Judaise Jerusalem and its sacred sites. They will also reiterate
support for the Palestinian Authority and urge the international community to
place pressure on Israel to end its blockade on Gaza.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa said in a press conference following the
Arab foreign ministers’ meeting that by agreement, the next Arab Summit will be
held in and presided over by Iraq, a decision suggested by Iraqi officials.
He added that there was no objection to Iraq heading the next summit, noting
that the final decision regarding whether the next summit will take place in
Iraq will be discussed at the summit itself on Saturday.
He said that if Israel continues occupation, it should tolerate rejection,
hostility and resistance.
“We do not accept the continuation of settlement activities. This is the
critical point. If occupation continues in the West Bank and Jerusalem, this
means there is no Palestinian state and that the negotiations are a waste of
time,” he said.
Musa added that a meeting will be held on Friday between the Arab Peace
Initiative Committee and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The two sides will look into whether or not to extend a 120-day time frame given
to the Palestinian Authority on March 3 to start indirect talks with Israel, he
said.
Following his participation in the summit, King Abdullah is scheduled to pay a
visit to Japan, where he will hold talks with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama, in addition to other officials.
Discussions will cover bilateral ties and prospects for further cooperation at
all levels, particularly in the economic field. The latest regional developments
and efforts to bring about peace will also be featured in the talks, the
statement said.