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Fourteenth Arab Summit: The Arab Peace Initiative

The Fourteenth Arab Summit

The Arab Peace Initiative

Beirut, 27-28 March 2002

Reaffirming the resolution taken in June 1996 at the Cairo extraordinary Arab summit that a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East is the strategic option of the Arab countries, to be achieved in accordance with international legality, and which would require a comparable commitment on the part of the Israeli government;

Having listened to the statement made by His Royal Highness Prince Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which His Highness presented his initiative, calling for full Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occu­pied since June 1967, in implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, reaffirmed by the Madrid Conference of 1991 and the land for peace principle; and for Israel's acceptance of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in return for the establishment of normal relations in the context of a compre­hensive peace with Israel;

Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries that a military solution to the con­flict will not achieve peace or provide secur­ity for the parties, the council:

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

  1. 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 4 June 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 UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

c. The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occu­pied since 4 June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab countries [would] affirm the following:

  1. Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region.
  2. Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Pales­tinian [re]patriation [resettlement] 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 to 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.

 

The Beirut Declaration

(Excerpts)

إعلان بيروت

(مقتطفات)

نحن ملوك ورؤساء وأمراء الدول العربية...

تدارسنا المتغيّرات الإقليمية والدولية الخطيرة التي أدّت إلى تداعيات مقلقة والتحدّيات المفروضة على الأمة العربية والتهديدات التي تواجه الأمن القومي العربي، وأجرينا تقييماً شاملاً لهذه المتغيّرات والتحدّيات وبخاصّة تلك المتعلقة بالمنطقة العربية ولا سيّما الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة، وقيام إسرائيل بشنّ حرب تدميرية شاملة بذريعة محاربة الإرهاب مستغلة أحداث سبتمبر/أيلول المأساوية والإدانة العالمية لهذه الأحداث. وتباحثنا بما آلت إليه عملية السلام وممارسات إسرائيل الرامية إلى تدميرها وإغراق الشرق الأوسط بالفوضى وعدم الاستقرار، وتابعنا باعتزاز كبير انتفاضة الشعب الفلسطيني ومقاومته الباسلة، وناقشنا المبادرات العربية الهادفة إلى تحقيق السلام العادل والشامل في المنطقة، وتنفيذ قرارات الشرعية الدولية المتعلقة بالصراع العربي الإسرائيلي والقضية الفلسطينية.

 

Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, vol. xxxi, no. 4 (Summer 2002), p. 182.