Arab summit relaunches 15-year-old peace plan with Israel
DEAD SEA, Jordan — Arab leaders on Wednesday endorsed key Palestinian positions in the conflict with Israel — a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal on Palestinian statehood must precede any Israeli-Arab normalization.
In a one-day summit, they relaunched a peace plan that offers Israel normalization with Arab and Muslim states, provided it cedes lands it captured in 1967 to a future Palestinian state. A closing statement said that “peace is a strategic option” for Arab states.
“The summit has ended with a message of peace,” said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
The Arab peace plan was first launched in 2002. Its renewed endorsement Wednesday would undercut Israel’s proposal of a regional peace in which normalization with some Arab countries would precede a deal with the Palestinians.
The Palestinian quest for independence also served as a showcase for Arab unity in a fractured region. The 21 kings, presidents and top officials gathered on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea, with a clear view of the Israelioccupied West Bank on the opposite shore.
Syrian President Bashar Assad was absent — he hasn’t been invited since Syria’s suspension from the 22-member Arab League following his crackdown on a 2011 uprising that quickly turned into a brutal civil war.