Washington, August 01: Rejecting a “step-by-step” diplomatic approach to resolve the Middle East conflict, Saudi Arabia has said temporary security and confidence-building measures will not bring peace between Israel and Palestine and insisted that a settlement should include withdrawal from all occupied territories.
It is time for all people in the Middle East to be able to lead normal lives, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said after his meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here yesterday.
Incremental and step-by-step approach has not and will not achieve peace in the region, he said at a joint press conference with Clinton.
His comments came amidst the Obama Administration’s calls for immediate Arab gestures towards improving relations with Israel.
“Temporary security, confidence-building measures will also not bring peace. What is required is a comprehensive approach that defines the final outcome at the outset and launches into negotiations over final status issues: borders, Jerusalem, water, refugees and security,” Prince Saud said.
“The whole world knows what a settlement should look like: withdrawal from all the occupied territories, including Jerusalem; a just settlement for the refugees; and an equitable settlement of issues such as water and security,” he said.
The Arab world, the Saudi Foreign Minister argued, is in accord with such a settlement through the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the 2002 Arab Summit in Beirut which not only accepted Israel, but also offered full and complete peace and normal relations in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied in 1967.
This initiative was adopted unanimously by the Islamic countries at Makkah Summit in 2005.
“Today, Israel is trying to distract by shifting attention from the core issue — an end to the occupation that began in ’67 and the establishment of a Palestinian state to — incidental issues such as academic conferences and civil aviation matters,” he alleged, stating that this is not the way to peace.
“Israel must decide if it wants real peace, which is at hand, or if it wants to continue obfuscating and, as a result, lead the region into a maelstrom of instability and violence.”
Clinton, on her part, said the US is working very closely and intensely with the Israelis on the issues of settlements and easing of living conditions for the Palestinians, and with the Palestinian Authority on improving security and ending incitement on the West Bank and in Gaza.
“We have also asked the Arab states, including our friends in Saudi Arabia, to work with us to take steps to improve relations with Israel, to support the Palestinian Authority, and to prepare their people to embrace the eventual peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis,” she said.
–Agencies