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Palestinians seek no changes to Arab Peace Initiative — PA

By Mohammad Ghazal - Mar 28,2017 - Last updated at Mar 28,2017

DEAD SEA — The Palestinian Authority (PA) will not suggest or accept any amendment to the Saudi-brokered 2022 Arab Peace Initiative that offers Israel normal ties with the Arabs in return for withdrawal from territories it occupied in 1967, a senior Palestinian official said Monday.

"There is no intention to amend any of the initiative's articles contrary to what is being rumoured in some media circles. This is rejected at the Palestinian and the Arab levels," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the 28th Arab summit, which is held at the eastern shore of the Dead Sea.

"Neither the Arabs nor the Palestinians would accept any Israeli dictations or conditions in this regard, especially since the initiative is based on a clear Arab stance and there is commitment to the deal up until this moment," he said.

One of the resolutions that will be adopted at the summit entails commitment to the peace initiative without any changes, said Malki.

The initiative, which was adopted by Arab leaders at their summit in Beirut 15 years ago, calls 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 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.

Four Palestine-related resolutions will be on the summit’s agenda, including one on the latest developments in the issue, such as the US administration’s intention to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Another will be on Jerusalem, the diplomat said, that will “send a clear message to the Israelis on the importance and the symbolic significance of Jerusalem to the Palestinians and the Arabs”.

Other draft decisions are related to the Israeli settlement activities and support for the Palestinian Authority, he said.

The Palestinian minister added that Jordan’s efforts to put the Palestinian issue under the limelight are evident and that there was intensified coordination between Amman and the PA.

The 2002 initiative requests Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well and calls upon Israel to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

 

It 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 neighbourliness and provide future generations with security, stability, and prosperity. 

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