Arafat welcomes statements by Saudi crown prince on Israeli- Arab solution
Saudi Arabia-Palestine, Politics, 2/20/2002

For the first time Saudi Arabia has talked about normalization of relations with Israel, but in the context of a settlement in the Middle East based on UN resolutions.

This initiative was unveiled by the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz who is actually ruling the kingdom, in statements issued by the New York Times on Sunday.

On Monday, the Saudi daily Okaz said that "peace for the Kingdom is a strategic option on the ground of her conviction that war can not settle a dispute."

The New York Times report said that crown prince Abdullah was going to propose at the forthcoming Arab summit that Israel completely withdraw from all occupied Arab territories, according to UN resolutions, including Jerusalem, in return for establishing complete normal Arab relations with Israel. The report added "But I (Crown Prince Abdullah) changed my mind about delivering it when Sharon took the violence, and the oppression, to an unprecedented level."

Meantime, the secretary general of the Arab league Amr Moussa said on Monday that the statements of the Saudi crown prince mean clearly that Israel does not want peace.

Moussa told journalists what was stated by the Saudi crown prince is very clear and a clear Arab message that should be taken into account. Moussa added that this message meant that the Israeli placed obstacles are delaying the realization of peace in the Middle East.

Meantime, the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Monday welcomed the statements made by the Saudi crown prince to the American paper on the normalization of relations with Israel in case it pulls out from the Palestinian territories and considered these statements as a consolidation to peace efforts. In a statement to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, he said that the important political statements and stances made by the Saudi crown prince to New York Times constitute a support to peace efforts for the establishment of a just and permanent peace provides for the foundation of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital.

For its part, the US state department said "Certainly, if Saudi Arabia is willing to reach out to Israel to talk about peace and normalization of relations, then that is a significant and positive step," Adding "The crucial first step remains for Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to arrest terrorists and to dismantle the terrorist organizations that continue to carry out attacks against Israel."

Previous Stories:
  Saudi crown prince, Arafat hold telephone talks   (1/7/2002)
  Five million Saudi riyals transferred to the Palestinian Fund   (1/2/2002)
  Saudi crown prince confers with Arafat   (11/27/2001)
  Sharon thanks New York Mayor for refusing Saudi prince donation   (10/13/2001)
  Saudi Arabia: Israel is behind instability in the region   (10/2/2001)
  Saudi Arabia denies that it allowed Israeli journalist in   (12/7/1999)

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