Moussa: Arab states can not be part of a plan for pressuring Palestinians
Regional-Palestine, Politics, 12/22/2001

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the Arab states can never be part of a plan for pressuring the Palestinian National Authority.

Moussa said peace is the main strategic option of the Arab states. He said this peace should be a balanced one.

He said peace hoped for is the one which is based on the UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, the principle of land-for-peace and carrying out the resolutions on Jerusalem and refugees.

He said the latest statement issued by European Union on Israel explicitly to halt attacks against Palestinians and to stop building settlements.

Moussa called for carrying out the guidelines contained in the statement given by Secretary of State Colin Powell recently.

Moussa said there is no way for reaching an understanding with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as his policy is a hostile one which rejects peace.

The Arab Foreign Ministers Thursday night condemned a decision by the Israeli government to break off all contacts with the Palestinian Authority.

The aggressive polices and practices of the Ariel Sharon government and the exercise of the State terrorism against the Palestinian people...make his (Sharon's) government unqualified as a partner to reach a fair and balanced peace, they said in a final communique marking the end of their emergency meeting in Cairo.

As long as Sharon does not see Arafat as a partner to the peace process, the Arab states do not see in the government of Sharon a partner having credibility required in the peace process, they said.

They called on the US to take immediate steps to set into motion the framework forwarded by Secretary of State Colin Powell in a recent address on the Middle East.

They also urged Washington to reconsider its bias towards Israel's extremist policy, indicating that the US support to Israel including the use of veto at the Security Council encourages Israel to go ahead with its aggressive policies which defy Arab peoples and sentiments.

The ministers considered Israel's linking of what its suppressive acts against the Palestinians to the September 11 attacks a blatant attempt to mislead world public opinion, cover up its terrorist acts, deepen a state of hatred between Arabs and the US and undermine the peace process as a whole.

The ministers expressed rejection of any threats to use force against any Arab country, saying this would jeopardizes the region's stability and security and violate the UN Charter.

The only way out of the current cycle of violence is to bring about a just and comprehensive peace in the Mideast based on international legitimacy resolutions and land-for-peace principle that will guarantee Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands, including Jerusalem, Golan Heights and the occupied parts in South Lebanon, the Ministers said in their statement.

They expressed support to Arafat in face of the Israeli practices, urging all Palestinians to stand united in face of the dangers currently besetting them.

The ministers urged the European Union countries and the UN Security Council to exert joint efforts with the US and to adopt a balanced and just stance towards the Mideast problem.

The Arab peoples' boycott of Israeli goods and products is a natural result of the continuation of Israeli policy of occupation, assassinations (of Palestinian activists) an exercise of state terrorism, said the statement.

Previous Stories:
  Meeting of the Arab foreign ministers: we do not accept threats, refuse lists issued concerning resistance   (12/21/2001)
  CAABU Condemns the US Veto of UN Resolution on Palestine   (12/18/2001)
  Arab ministers of the Interior call for supporting Arafat   (12/15/2001)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search