Saudi Arabia offers ``complete peace'' to Israel

AP | 3/10/02 | HAMZA HENDAWI

[kattracks]

SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, Mar 10, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Saudi Arabia's foreign minister offered Israel "complete peace from Arab nations" in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands and the creation of an independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, speaking to reporters after meeting for an hour Sunday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, offered the most detailed Saudi comments on the kingdom's overture to Israel since it was first made public last month by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in a newspaper interview. Al-Faisal also is the highest-ranking Saudi to publicly address the initiative since then.

The push for peace has taken on great urgency in recent days as deaths in Palestinian-Israeli violence mount. But the Saudi initiative has been criticized by some Arabs, raising the possibility it will be altered before being formally presented to such an extent that the Israelis will reject it or deem it irrelevant.

Egypt and other influential Arab moderates have welcomed the Saudi proposal as at least a basis for peacemaking. Al-Faisal said his kingdom would formally present the proposal at an Arab summit in Beirut, Lebanon at the end of this month.

"Arab nations stress their intention to realize a lasting and comprehensive peace but at the same time Israel must show its good faith toward peace," al-Faisal said Sunday.

He called on Israel to withdraw from Arab territory captured in war and grant "the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, including the creation of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. If it does that it will be met with complete peace from Arab nations."

Al-Faisal said Abdullah and Mubarak have spoken at length on the initiative and both sides shared alarm at "Palestinian bloodshed."

During the past week, at least 114 Palestinians and 36 Israelis have died - the highest toll during any week since the conflict erupted. The week also saw the largest number of fatalities in a single day, 45 on Friday.

Al-Faisal did not elaborate on the peace initiative or say whether a written draft had been prepared or whether it referred to the sticky issue of Palestinian refugees.

Last week, Palestinian Planning Minister Nabil Shaath said an emerging draft referred to U.N. resolution 194, which says Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to their homes or receive compensation for their losses. The refugee question has derailed previous peace efforts because Israel fears the return of Palestinians to what is now Israel would destroy the state's Jewish character.

Al-Faisal did not answer directly when asked whether the Saudi peace proposal would be submitted if the Israelis kept Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat from attending the Beirut summit, but strongly indicated it would, saying the plan "is for the benefit of Palestine."

Palestinian officials have said the Saudis told them that the peace initiative would be presented at the Arab summit only if Arafat was there. Arafat has been confined to the West Bank town of Ramallah since December, and Israel has said it would lift the travel ban only if Arafat tries to curb attacks by Palestinian militants on Israeli civilians.

The Saudi initiative has won the support of heavyweight Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Syria, though Syria has said the refugee issue must be addressed. At an Arab League foreign minister's meeting Saturday in Cairo, Libya criticized the proposals, calling on Arabs to increase support for the Palestinian uprising.

"I think those who were betting on the possibility of a solution with Israel have failed," Libyan diplomat Ali Abd al-Salam al-Turiki said Sunday in Cairo. "There is no possibility for such a solution. There is ongoing war. We have to take practical measures."

Al-Turiki said a boycott of Israel could be among the measures taken. Arab attempts to revive economic campaigns against Israel have faltered in recent years as moderate Arabs states, including some in the Gulf, opened low-level trade ties with Israel.

Amid the disagreements, the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo was wrapping up Sunday without a formal statement on the Saudi initiative, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa said no initiative would come out of the Arab summit "that Syria has reservations about."

Israel has shown interest in the Saudi initiative, though it rejects any full withdrawal from territories it seized in the 1967 Mideast war. The United States has called the ideas positive. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is to discuss them when he comes to the region this week.

By HAMZA HENDAWI Associated Press Writer

Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved

[Rome2000]

Spoken like a true devotee of Hitler. You forgot to shout "Sieg Heil!!"

Thanks, I appreciate that.

If calling the islamic mongrels subhumans makes me a devotee of Hitler, then I know you don't know what you are talking about.

Last time I checked Hitler was on the same side as the Arabs in WWll, they are both anti-semitic and maniacal.

[ChadGore]

Jerusalem as its capital? He's high.

[TEXICAN II]

Peace for Israel will only come from the barrels of their own guns. They have no choice but to remove the PA from their territory. NO CHOICE!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I have a better idea. Saudi Arabia is a huge nation. Invite the Palestinkers there.

No? Hmm, the Prince doesn't want them there...

Okay, give them a country the size of Israel from the huge nation of Saudi Arabia.

No? I see, the Prince wants only ISRAEL to be giving up it's small portion of land, but Saudi Arabia, like the limo left, thinks the little guys should pay for it. Okay, I see it now.

[TEXICAN II]

Every report of a new exchange, as told in the media, says nothing about the PA targeting only civilians-women, children, babies. The Israelis strike at targets of military import & the media ignores this. The US media is as bad as any terorist. Listening to them is useless-unless you need to find the time, weather or traffic.

[Light Speed]

Sure we read the rhetoric..and hear repeatedly the "claims".
We need to ask some serious questions:
Why would Israel..after5 wars...after driving the PLO out of Lebanon...then reverse course..bring Arafat back from Tunis...give him legitamacy..give him 20,000 weapons to start..and finances to enact his "Palestinian" vision.
Why has Israel continually backed down...first it was ..no negotiations with the PLO..then no negotiations under fire..then if you use terrorism we will destroy you..then it was "If you fire missiles"..we will destroy you.
Now ..rumours sweep about that Sharon will negotiate under fire.

Next round of questions:
Why has Ariel Sharon been visiting Henry Kissinger and the CFR repeatedly since thew Yom Kippur war..
Same goes for Rabin..Barak..Peres...Netanyahu.

One needs to study the CFR to discern what is truly going on.
Yes there are hordes of NWO sites..lots of B.S...lots of hysterics..but some truth.
The more mature path..is to simply read books from former and current CFR members...comments..editorials..look at the CFR site..and see who has been visiting and speaking for the past decades.
Why are Palestinians like Hanna Ashrawi speaking at thinktank meetings repeatedly..Edward Saed...even Arafat.
People are blowing the whistle on this organization..many are very concerned with the theme of Global policy.

Zbigniew Brzezinski..CFR member wrote a book.."The Grand Chessboard"..American Primacy and its Geostrategic imperatives.
Reading this book..one quickly discerns why the U.S. is in the Balkans..Uzbekistan..Tajikastan..Afganistan..Georgia.. Turkey...Pakistan.
It is by no accident that America is now positionally severing Eurasia from Asia.
I will not go into any detail concerning radicall Islam..but will share this with you...it is "FASHIONED"..to be the way it is..it is also a "Medium" when handled in a certain way..creates instability..and pits nations against each other...causes nations to be financially overwhelmed..and militarily dependent.

What is taking place between Israel and the Palestinians..and the regional Islamic states is by design....smoke and mirrors ...the majority do not discern the application of power..or it's intended results.
There is a roster of a who's who..in the CFR...going way back..since Israels inception.
Anyone who is anyone in U.S. power broking..from the Hill..to the varied presidential admins..is from the CFR.

[OKCSubmariner]

The Saudi (Islamic) peace plan for Israel and Jerusalem (including Christian Holy Places) is starting to take the form of and have the elements of the plan described in the Bible that is eventually brought forward by the AntiChrist and agreed upon for seven years. It is a plan designed to deceive and be a trap for Israel and to not be lasting and to be broken (after three and a half years).

Jerusalem will be a budensome stone and a cup of trembling for the Saudis, the Arabs and the EU and all those who try to impose the wrong plan on her.

[liberallarry]

Even Thomas Friedman, credited with co-authoring the Saudi idea, says it's horsehit in today's New York Times. He just isn't ready or willing to accept the consequences of really believing what he says.

[sheik yerbouty]

Saudi promises are the hope of fools!

[Godfollow]

It's a phony proposal... Arabs want no Israel at all. When you look at the Biblical Israel, Jerusalem was its center, its heart. Arabs have no other claim to the land but that they became squatters over time when the Jews were driven from the land and dispersed throughout the world. Israel is not Israel without Jerusalem.

When the nation of Israel was established, it became the cause of Arabs to disallow it. As a consequence, several wars were fought, Israel winning each one. Arabs will propose only a plan which will be rejected out of hand by the Jews, thus creating in the public mind a higher political "morality" for Arab efforts for peace. That "morality" will buy them acceptance for major intervention should Israel refuse. That is what they want.

[sheik yerbouty]

Saudi promises are the hope of fools.

[OKCSubmariner]

Saudi Arabia modified its peace plan to remove normalization of relations with Israel! See the following WorldNet Daily article found by Uncle Bill today:

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND

Saudis backpedal on peace plan

Normalization of relations with Israel removed from proposal

Link:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=26782

[RightWhale]

That's the civilized way to do graphic graphics.

[Tolik]

I think the only way to get peace is to separate the Israelis and the Palestinians. Then build a buffer zone 20 miles wide between them and...

I'd like your proposal, but look on the size of the land. It's easy to forget how small Israel is.

The map is taken from http://www.masada2000.org/geography.html

Another thread running about it: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/595379/posts