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.
The only way to write peace in the middle east is with blood.
Victory equals peace.
I call for Full Israeli bombing.
With tears in my eyes, I give Israel 20 years max...
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but when I see pictures of these people being uprooted, unwillingly, from their homes, I'm reminded of our Supreme Court. I don't keep up with Israeli politics though, and maybe these settlers didn't actually purchase the land, or have iron clad ownership rights. But still, the betrayal they feel at the hand of their own government, chills me to the bone.
That is wrong!
US has its enemies in her friends and her friends in the enemies....
Any display of weakness in the face of those who use terror to achieve their goals only results in more terror.
RR knew this, I think Sharon has simply lost his mind.
Or he is setting up the biggest kill zone since the first gulf war. http://deoxy.org/wc/warcrime.htm Please note there is a severe barf alert attached to this link.
I hope he has a plan to checkmate, because the king is in check and the black pieces are in position.
Typical Bears fans.
I would say within 6 months, a year at the most.
The coming fight for Jerusalem will result in the Battle of Armagedon, just as the Bible has foretold it would.
I don't believe they will have the guts to do that, as Sharon is too eager to wipe his reputation as a "war criminal."
"I know that Sharon is not this stupid. Surely he realizes that the demands will escalate and snowball from here. This is just 'a first step'.
I hope he has a plan to checkmate, because the king is in check and the black pieces are in position."
It is called leveling Gaza and pushing the Palis out to Egypt.
Right, let’s get one thing straight. If there is ever going to be peace there, and ever going to be an end to the War on Terror, or Struggle against Naughty People (or whatever the heck it’s called now), this pullout needs to be done.
The Palestininians need a separate state. That will not fully placate the hardcore Palestinians, but it will stop some joining their ranks.
Whoever is under the impression that terrorism never pays is not actually living in the real world. The reality is it is a matter of not letting it pay off too much.
I think too many people here are awfully quick to underestimate the Prime Minister. Only time will tell.
I suppose the Arab governments are patiently waiting for Israel to pull out of...Israel? So, is Sharon giving up the country by degrees?
What other "Palestinian" lands does Israel even occupy?
Can't say that any of this surprises anyone here.
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