Arab Summit Endorses Crown Prince Abdullah’s Mideast Peace Initiative

Arab leaders attending the 14th Summit of the League of Arab States in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 28 endorsed the peace initiative presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and declared that it is now an Arab initiative to be known as the “Beirut Declaration”.

Crown Prince Abdullah submitted his initiative to the summit on March 27, proposing that the league present to the United Nations Security Council an offer to Israel for normal relations with all Arab states in exchange for full withdrawal from Arab territories, recognition of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of Palestinian refugees. In his statement to the summit, Crown Prince Abdullah appealed to all friendly countries throughout the world to support this proposal, which seeks to remove the danger of destructive wars and establish peace for all the inhabitants of the region, without exception.

During their two-day deliberations, the Arab leaders reviewed the serious regional and international developments that have led to perilous repercussions and dire challenges for the Arab community, notably those pertaining to the occupied Palestinian territories and the destructive war launched by Israel under the pretext of fighting terrorism, exploiting the tragic incidents of September 11 in the United States.

The summit issued a communiqué emphasizing that peace in the Middle East will not be successful if it is not just and comprehensive in line with UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425, and the principle of land for peace. It also stressed the unity of the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and their integral linkage with the Palestinian track for the realization of the Arab goals of a comprehensive solution.

The communiqué called on the Israeli government and all Israeli citizens to accept the peace initiative, now known as the Beirut Declaration, in order to preserve a chance for peace and to halt bloodshed, enable Arab countries and Israel to live side by side in peace and to provide future generations with a secure future filled with prosperity and stability. It urged all the countries and international organizations to support the initiative.

The communiqué expressed solidarity with Lebanon for full liberation of its territories and for its development and reconstruction, demanding the immediate release of all Lebanese detained in Israeli jails and condemning the repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty, notably the violation of its airspace and territorial waters, attributing to Israel full responsibility for the serious consequences of its provocations. The Arab leaders stressed their solidarity with Syria as well as Lebanon against Israel’s aggressive threats that undermine the security and stability in the region, considering any attack on the two countries as an act of aggression against all Arab countries. 

The Arab leaders welcomed statements by Iraq to respect the independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Kuwait in a way that leads to avoidance of all that can cause the reoccurrence of the events of 1990.

They condemned international terrorism and the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and condemned its exploitation by the Israeli government as a pretext to launch a destructive and aggressive war against the Palestinian people. They stressed the distinction between international terrorism and the legitimate right of peoples to resist foreign occupation.