GCC chief al-Hjeilan: Doha conference useless

The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jamil al-Hjeilan has described the recent MENA economic conference held in Doha, Qatar, and other similar conferences as useless and meaningless unless Israel takes a practical and serious step to bring back the peace process to its right track.

In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily al-Watan, al-Hjeilan said despite the "peace treaties" Israel had signed with Egypt and Jordan, there is a strong opposition inside the two countries to normalizing relations with Israel, because of Israel's intransigent policy towards the peace process.

He stressed that peace will be attained after Israel withdraws completely from the occupied Syrian Golan and south Lebanon, halts settlement building and recognizes the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Al-Watan reported that a number of Arab and Qatari businessmen participating in the conference stressed their rejection of cooperation with the participating Israeli delegation.