Global Arab Network | King of Jordan: The Arab Peace Initiative is the best way to move forward

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King of Jordan: The Arab Peace Initiative is the best way to move forward

KING_ABDULLAH_OPENS_WORLD_ECONOMIC_FORUM2

The King of Jordan, King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, opened the World Economic Forum on the Middle East by calling on Israel to join Arab states in committing to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He emphasized the Arab Peace Initiative as the best way to move forward: “Negotiated settlement, that will finally end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, which meets the legitimate right of the Palestinians to freedom and statehood and offers Israel the security guarantees and normal relations it needs,” he told over 1,400 regional and world leaders gathered at the Dead Sea for the three-day meeting.

“We have committed. So, now, must Israel. The Arab Peace Initiative has offered Israel a place in the neighbourhood and more: acceptance by 57 nations, the one-third of the UN members that do not recognize Israel. This is true security – security that barriers and armed forces cannot bring,” the King said.

He urged leaders to work together to find answers to the economic crisis that has impacted the region. “Answers that not simply help our countries get through the global economic downturn, but ensure the region emerges as a powerhouse: the go-to place for opportunity and wealth-building and a determining factor in reshaping the global economy,” he said.

Finally, the King addressed the region’s young people – the largest in the Middle East’s history – as having “the power to transform the future. Set powerful goals. All of us here today will help,” he said. He called them “a vital dynamic in this World Economic Forum on the Middle East”, as a group of some 20 young leaders from the Global Changemakers Programme are participating in the meeting’s discussions.

Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat hailed King Abdullah II's relentless efforts to support Palestinian people and revive stalled Mideast peace process in accordance with the two-state solution within "a regional context".

"It is necessary to form a unity Palestinian government to reconstruct Gaza and conduct presidential and parliamentary elections before 2009 ends," added Erekat.

Israel's occupation, Erekat affirmed, is the most dangerous form of terrorism because it undermines the region's stability and impedes its economic prosperity.

The Palestinian people, he underscored, seek to establish their independent state on their national soil with Jerusalem as its capital.

"Our peace partner has to accept the two-state solution, halts settlement activities and stops tampering with Jerusalem's Arab identity," added Erekat.

Opportunity at hand

Chairman of US Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee Senator John Carey said opportunity is at hand , now more than ever, to press ahead towards achieving just peace in the Middle East.

Carey, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East, urged all concerned parties to take prompt steps to help reach a peaceful settlement in the region.

The US administration, Carey added, is firmly committed to the two-state solution within a comprehensive regional context.

The US leadership, he underscored, is fully aware that Israel has to stop settlement activities and clear way for Palestinians to lead a better life.

Serious steps needed

Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nadief said the core challenge facing the Middle East has deep economic and social aspects, which are not necessarily wrought by the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Cultural, religious and ethnic differences constitute an imminent threat to national security, social welfare and prosperity, Nadief added on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East, which kicked off earlier today.

The time factor, he affirmed, is "vital" to solve the Mideast conflict and urged all concerned parties to take serious steps to reach a peaceful settlement in the region.

Bahrain's Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Al-Khalifeh , on his part, labeled challenges facing the region as "economic ,political and humanitarian," which must not negatively affect the code of values that we highly appreciate.

The most significant political challenge is the Arab-Israeli conflict , ranks world economic crisis as top economic concern and renders education, health and gender equality as "a real humanitarian woe," the Bahraini official, during WEF discussions, added.

Read the King’s speech in full (Click)

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