Arab League: Support for Saudi peace plan depends on Israel

[subsuelo]

A meeting of the Arab League in Damascus ended Sunday with a warning to Israel that the organization's ongoing support for the 2002 Saudi Arabian Mideast peace initiative depends on Israel's actions.

The peace initiative offers Israel peace and normal relations with all Arab countries in return for withdrawal from all territory captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.

The two-day summit, subdued in the wake of the boycott of Arab leaders critical of Damascus, issued a statement saying that the Arab governments will review their strategies on peace with Israel. It did not say what options were under consideration or when the review would take place.

"The continuation by the Arab side to present the Arab peace initiative is tied to Israel executing its commitments in the framework of international resolutions to achieve peace in the region," a Damascus declaration said.

The statement, read by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, added: " to evaluate and review Arab strategies and the plan of action regarding reviving the peace process as a prelude to decide on next Arab moves."

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[sharesunited]

1. The Arab league should be cooperating

to absorb any and all Palestinians who want out of their gulag. And let's hear an unequivocal statement from the Arab League supporting Israel's right to exist and condemning calls for its destruction such as are coming from Iran.

[oberliner]

2. The Arab Peace Initiative

The following is the text of the plan (the operant clauses). I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it.

The Arab Peace Initiative

1. Requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.

2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:

a. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights to the lines of June 4, 1967 as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon.

b. Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194.

c. The acceptance of the establishment of a Sovereign Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza strip, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab countries affirm the following:

a. Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region.

b. Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries.

5. Calls upon the government of Israel and all Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab Countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighborliness and provide future generations with security, stability, and prosperity.

6. Invites the international community and all countries and organizations to support this initiative.

7. Requests the chairman of the summit to form a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the secretary general of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United Nations, the security council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Muslim States and the European Union.

http://www.jordanembassyus.org/arab_initiative.htm

Do you support this plan? If not, what problems do you have with it?

[sellitman]

3. And what of Hamas?

Have they reacted to this proposal?

[oberliner]

4. Hamas calls on Arab summit to drop peace plan and support armed battle instead

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Gaza's Hamas rulers on Friday called on the leaders of Arab nations to drop their proposal for a comprehensive peace deal with Israel, and support the militant group's battle against Israel instead.

About 2,000 people gathered at a Hamas-organized rally in Gaza, as Arab leaders convened in Damascus ahead of the annual Arab summit. Hamas was not invited to the summit hosted by its closest ally in the region.

Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya said Israel would only respond to violence, and encouraged others to join it.

"Cut all ties with Israel, withdraw the Arab initiative," he shouted. "The Zionist enemy doesn't have a vision of peace. Only force... fighting and holy war works with (Israel.)"

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/28/africa/ME-GEN-Palestinians-Arab-Summit.php

[Vegasaurus]

6. Only force and holy wars....

what a life they have chosen for themselves and their people.

Think of what could happen if they learned to compromise, and put building a state over annihilating a people.

[sellitman]

7. This is the real problem.

Getting all the Arab factions to agree on a peace plan together.

Always has been.

[sharesunited]

5. Ceding of land including the Heights; right of return;

custody of the holiest places to a Palestinian "government."

These are all unacceptable, knowing what we know now.

[LeftishBrit]

8. I generally support it.

Though it's obviously not me who needs to support it; it's the Israelis and Palestinians as well as the Arab governments! I can imagine the harder-line Israelis not liking some of it - and I don't need to IMAGINE Hamas not liking it; they are seriously trying to obstruct it at the moment (sigh).

There would need to be a lot of haggling about details, no doubt.

One point: I don't understand (4) at all:

'Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries.'

Does this mean that they don't want an influx of Palestinian refugees into THEIR countries; or does it mean something totally different?

[oberliner]

9. A comment on #4

From what I understand, this clause asserts that the Palestinians living in refugee camps in other countries (i.e. Lebanon) would not be offered the option of staying in that country and receiving some kind of compensation (as has been suggested in other proposals concerning Palestinian refugees living in other countries) and would instead be mandated to relocate either to Israel or the newly created Palestinian state.

If anyone has further information or clarification regarding this clause, please do share.

[bemildred]

12. Something like that.

I think the idea is that having them all stay is not to be seen as a "solution" to that problem, they have to have someplace to go, and compensation is a separate issue from "patriation" which has to do with their displacement, not where they happen to wind up in the end.

It would seem to me that if you were to allow them to remain in Lebanon for example, you would have to compensate them AND Lebanon, and I have no idea how such a notion would be received.

[aranthus]

10. The obvious problem is

that the Arabs have pegged a "just solution to the refugee problem," to UNGAR 194, which states at paragraph 11 that the UN:

"Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."

So even though the Arabs appear to call for an, "agreed," solution, they really aren't giving Israel a choice. It's either agree to full implementation of the "Right of Return," or no deal. That's as much of a non-starter as it ever was.

[oberliner]

11. I wish more attention would be paid to the Clinton Parameters

To wit:

Under the two-state solution, the guiding principle should be that the Palestinian state will be the focal point for Palestinians who choose to return to the area without ruling out that Israel will accept some of these refugees.
I believe that we need to adopt a formulation on the right of return to Israel itself but that does not negate the aspiration of the Palestinian people to return to the area.

In light of the above, I propose two alternatives:

1.Both sides recognize the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Historic Palestine. Or,

2.Both sides recognize the right of the Palestinian refuges to return to their homeland.
The agreement will define the implementation of this general right in a way that is consistent with the two-state solution. It would list five possible final homes for the refugees:

1. The state of Palestine
2. Areas in Israel being transferred to Palestine in the land swap
3. Rehabilitation in a host country
4. Resettlement in a third country
5. Admission to Israel

In listing these options, the agreement will make clear that the return to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the areas acquired in the land swap would be a right to all Palestinian refugees.

While rehabilitation in host countries, resettlement in third world countries and absorption into Israel will depend upon the policies of those countries.

Israel could indicate in the agreement that it intends to establish a policy so that some of the refugees would be absorbed into Israel consistent with Israel's sovereign decision.

I believe that priority should be given to the refugee population in Lebanon.

The parties would agree that this implements Resolution 194.

I propose that the agreement clearly mark the end of the conflict and its implementation put an end to all its claims. This could be implemented through a UN Security Council Resolution that notes that Resolutions 242 and 338 have been implemented through the release of Palestinian prisoners.

I believe that this is an outline of a fair and lasting agreement.

It gives the Palestinian people the ability to determine the future on their own land, a sovereign and viable state recognized by the international community, Al-Qods as its capital, sovereignty over the Haram, and new lives for the refugees.

It gives the people of Israel a genuine end to the conflict, real security, the preservation of sacred religious ties, the incorporation of 80% of the settlers into Israel, and the largest Jewish Jerusalem in history recognized by all as its capital.

This is the best I can do. Brief your leaders and tell me if they are prepared to come for discussions based on these ideas. If so, I would meet the next week separately. If not, I have taken this as far as I can.

These are my ideas. If they are not accepted, they are not just off the table, they also go with me when I leave the office.

[MaryCeleste]

13. Be aware that a number of members snubbed the meeting by sending only low level personel