Jordan Times
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Gov’t restates
rejection of Israeli measures in occupied territories
By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - The government on Wednesday reaffirmed Jordan's rejection of provocative
Israeli measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling for a unified Arab
response.
In a press conference yesterday, Minister of State for Media Affairs and
Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif highlighted the Arab
Peace Initiative, which offers Israel normalised ties with the Arab and Muslim
worlds in exchange for its withdrawal from Arab lands occupied since 1967,
including East Jerusalem.
"We stress on the Arab Peace Initiative… which enjoys international support and
consensus on the two-state solution as the only solution to the conflict in the
region," Sharif said during a press conference yesterday.
He added that the conflict must be addressed within the framework of a
comprehensive solution at all levels, pointing out that peace is in the interest
of not only the Arab world, but the international community as a whole.
"His Majesty King Abdullah, during his participation in the Arab Summit earlier
this week, reiterated the importance of serious action to develop and improve
the performance of joint Arab institutions such as the Arab League, in order to
confront the threats and challenges facing the Arab and Muslim nations," the
minister said.
Sharif quoted the King as saying that Israel will not enjoy peace unless the
Palestinians are guaranteed all their rights and establish an independent and
viable state on their national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He added that the Monarch highlighted that Jordan will make use of all political
and diplomatic options to put an end to the unilateral Israeli measures in the
occupied territories, particularly those taking place in East Jerusalem.
Sharif underlined that the Sirte Summit aimed at ending any state of dispute
among Arab states, stressing that unity is the only way to prevent any foreign
interference in internal Arab affairs.
He added that the summit's closing statement also reiterated that East Jerusalem
is an undivided part of Palestinian lands that were occupied in 1967 and that
any Israeli attempts to change the reality on the ground are not recognised by
the UN and the international community.