Arab League ‘no’ to deal
CAIRO, Feb 2, (KUNA): The Arab League Council on Saturday vehemently rejected US-proposed Middle East peace plan, dubbed “the deal of the century,” on the grounds that it violates the reference points of the peace process, the international law and UN resolutions.
At the conclusion of high-level talks bringing together the foreign ministers of the League’s member states in the Egyptian capital, the Council urged in a resolution the US to “commit to a an enduring peace process backed by international law.”
The resolution highlighted the “Palestinian cause” as the Arab region’s primary concern, saying US President Donald J. Trump’s proposal to solve the decades-long Middle East conflict should not be considered, let alone materialize.
It cited the Arab peace initiative as the “bare minimum” in terms of an acceptable solution to the conflict, highlighting the two-state solution based on the borders in place before the 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent state of Palestine, as the only viable way out of the conflict.
It is imperative to cooperate with international peacemakers and global bodies over efforts to protect the rights of the Palestinian people, the resolution said, reiterating that any acceptable solution to the Middle East conflict should adhere to the Arab peace initiative and international laws.
US President Trump on Tuesday suggested creating a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan dubbed the “deal of the century,” with strict conditions allowing Israel to maintain control over disputed West Bank settlements.
The plan drew ire from the wider Arab region, with the Palestinians
deeming it as largely biased towards Israel.
Earlier, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmad AbulGheit called on the foreign ministers of the League’s member states to adopt a single stance towards the so-called “deal of the century” for peace in the Middle East.
“The US plan is unlikely to establish peace or stability in the region,” he said Saturday, commenting on the plan proposed by Trump on Tuesday.
However, Abul-Gheit stressed the need of relaunching the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks in order to reach a fair and comprehensive settlement to the protracted Middle East conflict.
He was addressing the extraordinary meeting of the Arab League Council, held on the ministerial level in the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“The recent US proposal, backed by Israel, unveils a dramatic shift in the long-standing US policy towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; it is a source of uneasiness and profound concern for us,” he stated.
The League chief noted that such a serious issue requires “a unified collective stance” from the Arab countries from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arab Gulf which share the concern over the Palestine cause.
“The ministerial meeting should send a message to the world that the Palestinians are not alone and their free choices always enjoy backing from the Arab countries,” he underscored.
“The US proposal is disappointing and far from justice since it followed stark indications of US bias against, and unprecedented pressure on, the Palestinians, including the (US) recognition of the Jerusalem as capital of Israel.