Backgrounder: Reviving Arab peace initiative

Source: CCTV.com | 03-28-2007 15:01

As the Arab League Summit is being held today in Riyadh, the Arab leaders hope to build momentum for a resumption of the peace process with Israel, based on the 2002 Arab peace initiative.

At this Riyadh summit, the Arab leaders are expected to repeat their proposal for a comprehensive peace with Israel.

The Arab peace initiative was proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002.

It offers Israel recognition and normalization of ties if it withdraws from all the Arab lands it occupied in 1967, plus the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It also calls for Palestinian refugees to be given the right to return to their homes in Israel.

It's no coincidence that the league is reviving this initiative at this time.

In February, Saudi-brokered talks in Mecca secured an agreement between the rival Palestinian leaders, which led to a new Palestinian unity government this month.

The Fatah-Hamas coalition government hopes to persuade the international community to lift sanctions and end its isolation of the Palestinian National Authority. The Arab League is now reinforcing its support.

Prof. Gong Shaopeng, China Foreign Affairs University, said,“The Arab League thinks the Palestinians-Israel conflict is the core of regional political problems, so the Arab league is keen to revive its peace initiative, hoping to push the peace process forward. But the essential reason is that the League wants to smooth the contradictions between Shi'ites and Sunnis, and to strengthen internal unity.”

Israel has rejected the Arab peace initiative, but in recent weeks said it could support it with some amendments.

Israel rules out full withdrawal from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and strongly opposes the influx of large numbers of Palestinian refugees into what is officially a Jewish state.

Some Arab leaders are try to hammer out a softer position.

Prof. Gong Shaopeng, said, “The initiative indicates that the Arab world is conducting a realistic policy towards the problem. It's a help, but not an agreement. The final result depends on both Palestinians and Israelis.”

No one knows when or how that might come about. But experts say all parties involved must be ready to accept any possible result.

Editor:Du Xiaodan