Arab states welcome Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon
Lebanon, Politics, 5/25/2000

The Arab states welcomed Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon and called on Israel to carry out all international resolutions, if Israel wishes to make peace with the Arabs.

In this respect, the Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi will arrive in Beirut today.

Meantime, the Syrian daily Tishreen wrote on Wednesday "The Israeli withdrawal from the Golan should be followed by a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan. There is no bargain with the occupation until it totally evacuates from the Arab lands and restores back all rights to their owners and legitimate people."

The paper added " the Golan is the conscience of every Arab citizen. And peace will never be with the Israelis unless they restore back the whole of the Golan and withdraw their forces until June 4, 1967 and their recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and homelands."

The Syrian daily remarked that in order to " cover their humiliating withdrawal, the Israeli officials, as usual, launched threats against Lebanon and Syria. Threats which only brought to the Israeli more humiliation in the past and they will receive the same humiliation in future."

The Syrian daily continued that "the Syrian- Lebanese steadfastness is based on the unity of the two people and countries and to a common united stand towards the practices of Tel Aviv rulers and their anti-peace schemes."

In Gaza, the chairman of the Palestinian President Arafat welcomed the end of the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon in being a victory for the Lebanese people. He expressed hope that the Israeli forces will also withdraw from the Palestinian territories..

A large rally was held in Gaza commemorating the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from South Lebanon.

The gathering masses praised the Lebanese national resistance and the steadfastness of the Lebanese people. They chanted slogans expressing joys and wishes for liberating all Arab territories from the occupation.

Meantime, all Palestinian national factions welcomed the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from South Lebanon.

In Amman the Jordanian Parliament expressed its happiness over liberating the Lebanese territories and called on the Lebanese people to unify their ranks and to eliminate any attempt that create partition among the Lebanese.

Meantime, the Jordanian dailies stressed that the Israeli withdrawal from the South of Lebanon constitutes "a great victory not only for Lebanon, but for the Arab and Islamic nations as a whole."

In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber expressed his " heart- felt congratulations to lebanon's President, government and people for restoring back their liberated lands."

The Kuwaiti news agency KUNA quoted Sheikh Jaber as expressing " continued security and stability to lebanon and the establishment of just and durable peace in the Middle East region."

In Doha, and in its weekly session, the Qatari Cabinet expressed " satisfaction over the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from South Lebanon, according to UN resolution 425."

In Cairo, President Hosni Mubarak has asserted that the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon constitutes an important victory for the Lebanese people and an important step to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region. In a cable of congratulation he sent to the Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, the Egyptian president confirmed his country's support for Lebanon to achieve its safety and rebuilding.

At the UN, the Security Council has stressed the need for reaching a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region, based on its relevant resolutions including 242 and 338.

In its statement, the UN security council welcomed the report submitted by UN Secretary general Kofi Annan on May 22nd and his determination to take all necessary procedures to enable UNIFIL temporary force assure the withdrawal of the Israeli forces completely from Lebanon in implementation of UN resolution 425 and to take all necessary steps in order to fight eventualities.

In London, the British Foreign Minister Robin Cook praised the Israeli withdrawal and called on all sides concerned to "ease down tension and violence during the coming phase."

Previous Stories:
  Maguid assures cohesion of Lebanese and Syrian tracks in the peace process   (5/24/2000)
  Voice of the SLA radio shut   (5/24/2000)
  Israel accepts some SLA militias just for one year   (5/24/2000)

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