Arab League warns against optimisim over Barak's victory
Regional, Politics, 5/19/1999

Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid has asserted the commitment of the Arab League to the principles on the grounds of which the Middle East peace process was built, foremost being the land-for-peace formula, international legitimacy resolutions and UN resolutions 242 and 338.

In a statement to the BBC on Tuesday, the AL chief called on the newly-elected Israeli premier, Ehud Barak, to work for revitalizing the Middle East peace process in accordance with the agreed upon principles. He indicated that Israel is responsible for obstructing this process.

The AL secretary general expressed his categorical opposition to the Arabs rushing towards agreements with Israel before the proper negotiations had taken place.

The assistant secretary general for Arab affairs at the Arab League, Ahmed Ben Hali also warned against being optimistic towards the new government of the Labor Party in Israel, led by Ehud Barak.

Ben Hali called for alertness and awareness towards the Arab stand and to wait to see the new Israeli government's practices.

Ben Hali also denied that there is currently any Arab thinking to revise the decision of halting normalization with Israel taken by the AL council in reply to outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government's policy toward the peace process, adding that the time has come for Barak to carry out his electoral pledges by withdrawing from the Golan and South Lebanon in less than a year.

He also stated that the first test for the Israeli government would be the Palestinian independent statehood.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli elections and Syrian officials   (5/19/1999)
  Barak vows to withdraw from Lebanon within one year   (5/19/1999)
  Oman to take new steps to encourage Israel for peace   (5/19/1999)

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