Beirut Declaration dusted off again
Abu Dhabi, March 30th, 2007 (WAM) - A UAE newspaper today commented on the outcome of the 19th Arab summit, wrapped up yesterday in Riyadh.
"At the Arab League summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, the host, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, in remarks made at the opening of the summit, resurrected the 2002 Saudi Middle East Plan, also known as the Beirut Declaration," The English language 'Gulf News' said in its editorial today.
By doing so, the paper went on, King Abdullah reaffirmed the call of the Arab League to the Israeli government "to accept the Arab peace initiative and seize the opportunity to resume the process of direct and serious negotiations on all tracks.
"However, it is significant to note that no further concessions were made beyond those offered to Israel five years ago. Under the original plan, Arab nations were asked to formally recognise Israel, if Israel withdrew from land occupied by it since the 1967 war, and accepted a Palestinian state and agreed to a "just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem." "The plan was rejected by Israel then and it is likely to be rejected again by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, although there are suggestions that he is now giving the proposal a guarded welcome, but with reservations regarding the refugee issue, Israel has no wish to see a sudden influx of Palestinians into what they consider to be an already overcrowded territory." The Dubai-based daily added that the immediate reaction to King Abdullah's comment came from Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who reiterated the comment that Israel refused to accept the revived Arab peace plan as it stood and further discussions were needed.
"This is certainly more promising than could be expected at this early stage of negotiations, and perhaps is a sign that Israel and Israelis are exhausted - as indeed are Palestinians - by the continual barrage that takes place between the two peoples." It concluded by saying that with more than 40 years of struggle against the Israelis over the Occupied Territories, perhaps there is now an end in sight towards coexistence between these long-standing foes.
WAM/MAB 12 43 CCCCQQE
"At the Arab League summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, the host, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, in remarks made at the opening of the summit, resurrected the 2002 Saudi Middle East Plan, also known as the Beirut Declaration," The English language 'Gulf News' said in its editorial today.
By doing so, the paper went on, King Abdullah reaffirmed the call of the Arab League to the Israeli government "to accept the Arab peace initiative and seize the opportunity to resume the process of direct and serious negotiations on all tracks.
"However, it is significant to note that no further concessions were made beyond those offered to Israel five years ago. Under the original plan, Arab nations were asked to formally recognise Israel, if Israel withdrew from land occupied by it since the 1967 war, and accepted a Palestinian state and agreed to a "just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem." "The plan was rejected by Israel then and it is likely to be rejected again by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, although there are suggestions that he is now giving the proposal a guarded welcome, but with reservations regarding the refugee issue, Israel has no wish to see a sudden influx of Palestinians into what they consider to be an already overcrowded territory." The Dubai-based daily added that the immediate reaction to King Abdullah's comment came from Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who reiterated the comment that Israel refused to accept the revived Arab peace plan as it stood and further discussions were needed.
"This is certainly more promising than could be expected at this early stage of negotiations, and perhaps is a sign that Israel and Israelis are exhausted - as indeed are Palestinians - by the continual barrage that takes place between the two peoples." It concluded by saying that with more than 40 years of struggle against the Israelis over the Occupied Territories, perhaps there is now an end in sight towards coexistence between these long-standing foes.
WAM/MAB 12 43 CCCCQQE