Arab League Summit Concludes in Libya With, With Palestinian Criticism

Khudari criticizes summit for absenting Gaza reconstruction

[ 29/03/2010 - 11:18 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, has criticized the Arab summit that concluded in Libya on Sunday for "absenting" Gaza reconstruction despite presence of a previous resolution that allocated a budget of 2 billion dollars for that purpose.

Khudari, in a press release on Monday, said that the summit's decision did not lay down the practical mechanism to start the reconstruction, despite owning the ability to do so, even gradually especially when the reconstruction needs a number of years.

He said that there was no need for a new resolution but rather an executive plan was needed, warning that hundreds of families were living in the open waiting for building homes for them.

The Gaza inhabitants, particularly those with destroyed homes, had high hopes that the reconstruction would be a priority at the summit, the lawmaker elaborated.

Khudari appealed to the chairmanship of the summit and the Arab League secretariat to approve a suitable mechanism to start implementing the reconstruction decision.

Arab League Summit Concludes in Libya

Published yesterday (updated) 29/03/2010 14:46

Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Arab leaders and officials concluded the 22nd Arab League summit held in Serit, Libya on Sunday and will hold an exceptional summit in October to discuss unresolved issues.

A declaration addressing the Arab League's key issues was passed, mandating the establishment of a legal committee to follow up on the "Judaization" of East Jerusalem, home evictions, and attacks against holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territories, with the aim of putting its findings before national and international courts. A political framework was also outlined to tackle Israeli policy in East Jerusalem.

Arab leaders pronounced their full support for Jerusalem and its residents, "on their land in the face of continued Israeli aggression against them and their holy places, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque," the declaration read.

"East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian lands of 1967. All procedures that are carried out by the Israeli Occupation Authorities is illegal, and does not change the legal status of the city that remains occupied, nor does it impact the political status as the capital of Palestine."

Leaders agreed to holding an international conference on Jerusalem in 2010, under the sponsorship of the Arab League, with the participation of Arab organizations, unions, and civil society institutions.

Settlements could end peace talks

Conveners overwhelmingly expressed their reproof for Israel's settlement policy in East Jerusalem throughout the two-day conference stating that it poses "a dangerous obstacle to a just and comprehensive peace process", the declaration read.

Arab League Chief Amr Moussa said Israel's settlement enterprise could spell the end of negotiations, adding that Arab leaders "are waiting to see if they are serious. If they are serious they have to deal with the situation in the occupied territories in a different way," he said during a news conference at the summit's close.

The summit was unable to agree upon Palestinians entering into US-brokered proximity talks with the Israelis, which were swiftly derailed shortly after they were endorsed by the PLO when the Israeli government announced it would build 1,600 new Israeli-only homes in occupied East Jerusalem.

The pronouncement was made during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the region in a bit to renew stalled peace talks that broke off following Israel's initiation of its devastating assault on the Gaza Strip in December 2008.

Moussa told reporters that "within the next few weeks we have to decide what to do: whether to continue with the negotiations or to completely shift course,"

"If we find out that Israel is not leaving an opportunity to build two states, we are investigating the possibility of supporting a one-state solution. But such a decision will ... come after serious investigation and study," Moussa said.

Moussa: “Arab Countries Need To Prepare For Peace Failure”

Sunday March 28, 2010 06:31 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Amro Moussa, secretary-General of the Arab League, stated Saturday that the Arab countries should prepare for the possibility for a total collapse of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, and should start weighing different options.

Archive Picture of Previous Arab Summit - aleqt.com

Moussa did not state what are the alternatives to revive peace talks, but stated that the Arab Peace initiative was presented to Israel eight years ago, but Israel rejected it.

During their 2002 Summit in Beirut, Arab countries offered Israel a full normalization and peace with the Arab and Muslim worlds in return for its withdrawal from all Arab and Palestinian territories it illegally captured after the June 1967 war.

But Israel refused to accept the offer as it is, and said that it needs modifications as it is not willing to conduct full withdrawals from the West Bank and the Golan Heights, and is not willing to hold any talks on Jerusalem, borders and the refugees.

Israel also insists on keeping its main settlements and settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

During his speech at the Arab Summit in Libya, Moussa said that there is a need for a new approach to peace, and added “the Arab countries must prepare for the possibility of the total collapse of peace talks”.

“We must be aware, must be ready for the possibility of a total collapse of peace”, he added, “we must find alternatives, the current situation is unprecedented”.

He further said that the peace process entered a new stage, “possibly the last state, the Arabs accepted and recognized the efforts of mediators in peace talks”.

Saturday marked the beginning of the 22nd Arab Summit in Sirt (Sirte) city in Libya with the participation of Arab leaders or their representatives.

The summit is entitled “To Support The Steadfastness of Jerusalem”, it is attended by twelve Arab kings and presidents, while senior officials of other countries are also representing their countries.

Hamas: The Arab summit’s outcome fell short of the Palestinians’ hopes

[ 29/03/2010 - 09:59 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement stated Sunday that the outcome of the Arab summit held in Libya fell short of the aspirations of the Palestinian people and the Arab masses and did not provide answers to the challenges they are facing.

In a press release, Hamas added that the Arab summit did not address Israel’s arrogant attitude towards the occupied city of Jerusalem and its threat to demolish the Aqsa Mosque.

It also warned that the summit’s adherence to peace negotiations as a strategic option without looking for alternative choices especially the resistance option would augment the arrogance of Israel.

Hamas pointed out that the repeated idea of resuming indirect negotiations with Israel if it froze its settlement activities was already tried by the Arabs when Israel responded to their follow-up committee with further settlement projects in the heart of Jerusalem.

The resistance Movement also expressed dismay and regret at the ineffective position of the Arab summit towards the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, saying that the summit did not adopt any serious or practical steps to break the siege, but it settled for urging the besieging parties to lift it.

The Movement stressed that the Rafah border crossing is under the control of Egypt and the summit’s talk about holding the Israeli occupation responsible for the blockade does not absolve the Arabs from their role in opening this crossing.

In another context, the Arab summit witnessed a sharp argument between Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad and Mahmoud Abbas over the Arab support for the Palestinian resistance.

Al-Jazeera reporter said that the Syrian president stressed the need for supporting the Palestinian resistance as the strategic option for Arabs and Palestinians, while Abbas insisted stubbornly on his rejection of the armed resistance and his support for the option of peace negotiations with Israel.

Al-Assad, for his part, emphasized that the price of the resistance is less than the price of running behind defeatist solutions, and called on the Arab leaders to either support the resistance fully or at least to halt any initiatives towards Israel.

For his part, Syrian foreign minister Walid Al-Muallem affirmed that his country is not party to any statement issued by the summit regarding the indirect peace negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli occupation.

He added that Damascus was and is still against any kind of negotiations with Israel and its position was proven right when the Israeli government decided to expand its settlement activities in Jerusalem.

For his part, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday responded to the Arab summit’s appeal for freezing settlements as a condition for the resumption of peace negotiations, affirming that Israel will maintain its vital interests.

During his government’s weekly meeting, Netanyahu said that the Arab summit discussions would not contribute to advancing the peace process and the Arabs especially the Palestinians did not show any sign of moderation towards Israel.

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