The international reactions welcoming the initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah continued yesterday; the initiative calls for the Arab countries recognizing the state of Israel and having normal relations with Israel in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Arab territories occupied in 1967. US President Bush welcomed the initiative while Egypt and Jordan called on the Israeli government to deal positively with the initiative. Palestinian Minister of Information and Culture Yasser Abed Rabbo said the Arab League to be held in March must support the Saudi peace plan. The EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana announced that he would be heading today to Jeddah to discuss the initiative with Prince Abdallah. After a meeting with Israeli PM Sharon, Solana said that Sharon is interested in the Saudi initiative and is ready to meet with any Saudi official to discuss its details. Israeli FM Shimon Peres renewed his welcoming to the Saudi peace proposal and said that there is still a good chance for dialogue with Palestinians despite the escalation of violence in the Middle East. The spokesperson for the White House said President Bush called the Saudi Crown Prince over the phone and praised the initiative; he explained that the US believes that the Saudi proposal gives a hope but the US still believes that the proposals posed to end the violence between Israel and the Palestinians must be implemented first and the Palestinians must take measures to put an end to the attacks on Israel. Meanwhile, US officials excluded Syria from the Saudi proposals. Spokesperson for the US State Department said the comprehensive agreement in the Saudi ideas means an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians regarding all aspects of the conflict, including the refugees, Jerusalem, security, and borders.
Published in Al Hayat al Jadida Newspaper - February 27, 2002.
Washington welcomed the Saudi Initiative which attracted Israeli attention
US Secretary of State Powell intensified his contacts with the Arab leaders in a new attempt to end the violence that has continued for the last 17 months in the context of the Palestinian Intifada against the Israeli occupation. A Gulf news agency said last Sunday that Powell had telephone calls with Saudi Crown Prince, President Arafat, Egyptian FM, and the Jordanian King to discuss the development in the Middle East. Powell expressed last Friday Washington's concern regarding the escalation of tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Powell said he intends to spend most of the weekend attempting to mediate between both sides.
Palestinian and Arab informed sources said the Arab summit which will be held in Beirut next month will most probably adopt the peace initiative posed by Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah. Dr. Nabil Sha'th, Planning and International Cooperation Minister, said Saudi Arabia affirmed that it the initiative could not be posed at the summit unless President Arafat attends and if the initiative gets approval by the parties whose territories are occupied and that at that point Saudi Arabia will accept whatever the parties agree on. Sha'th renewed his welcoming to the Saudi initiative. He added: one should look at the initiative from the angle that it is an Arab attempt to convince the Americans first that if Israelis stop their aggression and if they respond to President Arafat and Syrian President Assad and if they achieved all their demands, mainly the withdrawal from the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories and if they solve all problems that resulted from the Palestinian cause, mainly the refugees and Jerusalem causes, then Arabs will be ready for normal relations with Israel. Meanwhile, A Saudi newspaper said yesterday the Arab consultations showed that the majority of the Arab countries support submitting the initiative to the Arab summit for ratification.
Published in Al Quds and Al Ayyam Newspapers - February 26, 2002.
