Posted on 08/15/2005 1:05:54 PM PDT by Alouette
DUBAI (AFP) - Arab governments expressed the hope that Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip will be followed by the evacuation of other occupied Palestinian lands and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas acknowledged the "historic and important" nature of the Israeli pullout from Gaza after 38 years but denounced an Israeli insistance it would keep hold of its West Bank settlement blocs.
Saudi Arabia "looks forward to the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip being a step followed by other steps toward withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian territories so the Palestinian people can build their state, with Jerusalem as its capital," said a statement issued after the weekly meeting of the Saudi cabinet in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
"The cabinet affirmed the kingdom's commitment to the peace initiative put forward by ... King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to the Arab summit held in Beirut in 2002 and adopted by the summit, thus becoming an Arab peace initiative," said the statement, carried by the official SPA news agency.
The Beirut meeting of Arab heads of state endorsed a blueprint, proposed by then Crown Prince Abdullah, offering Israel peace and normal ties in return for its withdrawal from occupied Arab lands.
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud "hoped the withdrawal from Gaza constitutes the beginning of the recovery of all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people", the ANI state news agency quoted him as telling Abbas in a telephone conversation.
For their part, the two Lebanese Shiite groups Amal and Hezbollah issued a joint statement saying "the routing of the Israeli enemy of Gaza is a high point in the long struggle of the Palestinian resistance".
They said the withdrawal "proves the effectiveness of resistance."
Jordan's King Abdullah reacted by urging Palestinians to pull together to prevent anyone from "hampering" Israel's withdrawal, an official statement quoted him as saying to Abbas.
The king also gave his "support to Palestinian Authority efforts to impose its authority on territory evacuated by Israel" calling the withdrawal "a positive step which must lead to a withdrawal from the West Bank".
In Kuwait, the cabinet voiced hope the Gaza pullout would be "the first step by Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and will be followed by other steps in compliance with relevant UN resolutions".
A statement cited by the official KUNA news agency said Kuwait also looked forward to the Gaza withdrawal leading to the revival of peace efforts on the basis of the internationally-backed "roadmap."
Bahrain's King Hamad congratulated Abbas in a telephone call on the Gaza pullout, saying he hoped it was "a step on the road to the establishment of a Palestinian state" with Jerusalem as its capital, the BNA news agency reported.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh similarly expressed hope that Israel will evacuate all occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and that an independent Palestinian state will be set up, Yemen's SABA news agency said.
Gen. 12:3, Joel 3:2, & Zech. 12:2 &3.
In what way does this offer a chance of peace? The Arabs have given up nothing. They are laying low now until the Jews move out then they will start killing people again.
I seriously want to now how you think this offers any chance for peace. It defies logic.
Your comment is historically ignorant.
Let's just for a moment say that the Jews said fine, and packed up and left Israel.
How long before the land reverts to the condition it was in before it was resettled by the Jews? Then how long before the Arabs complain that the Jews must have poisoned the land before they left?
What I'm trying to say is that Israel is what it is because of the Jews. If they leave, the land will go with them, and the inhabitants at that time will live in squalor.
It does not defy logic. Until the Palestinians have a viable state (one without hardcore Jewish settlers in the middle of it), they will go on bombing the Israelis. And the Israelis will retaliate and the Palestinians will bomb the Israelis and so on and so on. If the Palestinians get a viable state, some of them will carry on bombing the Israelis, but they won’t get any further. Surrendering the whole of Israel is clearly not going to happen. The point is less Palestinians will be antagonised by the presence of settlers right in the middle of their ‘country’.
From a practical point of view for the Israelis, not having to defend the settlements means they can refocus resources on defending Israel proper.
Does history teach us that they were they satisfied with that? No.
Does history teach us that they were they satisfied Gaza was Arab land? No.
Does history teach us that they were they satisfied when the West Banks was Arab land? No.
So what evidence or logic can you use to convince anyone that they will be satisfied with Gaza as a homeland?
As to the idea of settlers antagonizing Palestinians, Gaza has had less conflict that the West Bank or even Israel proper so that argument doesn't fly at all.
You will notice on that map it labels the Golan Heights as "occupied by Israel."
What's Israel?
Oops the editor screwed up, eh?
>>I suppose the Arab governments are patiently waiting for Israel to pull out of...Israel? So, is Sharon giving up the country by degrees?
Is there an empty state where all the Jews can be relocated? Maybe we'll build a few highrisers in Brooklyn and cram 'em all in.
It doesn’t matter if there is less conflict in the Gaza Strip. So long as there is conflict, Israel is wasting resources defending these settlements, when they could be defending less contentious parts of Israel.
Agreed that the Palestinians haven’t shown much inclination to be happy with what they did have, but believe or not some Arab countries do now at least recognise Israel, and if the Palestinians get something workable increasing numbers of them might too. I realise that is a ‘might’, but as I say, if the pullout does not happen there will never be peace; that is a certainty.
How DELUSIONAL can these morons be???
Makes sense. Why wouldn't they?!
sigh. I know I'm way to late in this discussion to be the first to zot. sigh.
--Marty
You know what's worse then being evicted from you home? A home you can rebuild, but to have your loved one yanked from their resting place and be reburied because those bastards mooslims would come and desecrate their coffins!! Especially those brave soldiers who died defending their nation, so that their folk kin could have a piece of freedom, a piece of land they could call home! Freakin travesty!
Ignorant because they already are in the Holy Land, and in Jerusalem- I presume? I know that. I meant if they ever succeed in driving the Jewish people OUT of the Holy Land altogether, if the Muslims control it utterly. THESE Muslims, these bloodthirsty, on a Jihad to conquer the world Muslims.
I do believe there will be cosmic repercussions if that happens- that's my personal belief and opinion. Certainly you don't think a Muslim takeover of Israel is a GOOD thing?!
Listening to Savage just now, discussing the significance or the date Sharon set for the expulsion in Jewish history. Second darkest day in the Jewish calendar. Destruction of both temples; expulsion of Jews from Spain, from England; the defeat of the Jewish freedom fighters in Warsaw; expulsion of Jews from Gaza. All on the same date. Anyone tell me if this is accurate?
"Is there anyone who..in less than 5 years..."
Actually I was going to say 5 days.
On the way out the settlers ought to burn every building to the ground and SALT THE EARTH.
"Maybe we should consider building one on our southern border."
It's not humanly possible. Just ask any profits-before-borders conservative, they will tell you that. That wall in Israel? Ignore that. That giant thing in China you can see from space? It's a mirage, doesn't exist.
Illegals coming here in record numbers? "Move along, nothing to see here"
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