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Saudi Arabia slams Israeli preconditions |
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Wednesday, 14 March 2007 |
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Prince Saud Al Faisal
Saudi
Arabia has criticized Israel for setting preconditions to Middle East
peace talks, urging it to accept an Arab initiative that was first
proposed in 2002.
Saudi
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal has said, “We only hear of
conditions from Israel about everything, but no acceptance. You cannot
have negotiations like that, you accept the proposals then you talk
about this. This seems a ludicrous way of doing business.” The comments
came at a news conference with visiting European Union Foreign Policy
chief Javier Solana on Tuesday.
A 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut adopted a Saudi initiative
offering Israel normal ties with Arab countries in return for full
withdrawal from land it occupied in the 1967 war.
But Israel has said it cannot accept some terms in the proposal,
including the total withdrawal from territory captured in 1967 and the
return of Palestinian refugees to their homes.
Regarding efforts for unity in Palestine, Prince Saud praised the
EU for welcoming the Mecca deal. “We look forward to the (EU) support
... for the Palestinian government,” he said.
Solana said the EU would grant more aid to the Palestinians this year than in 2006.
Israel has been withholding tax revenues the Palestinian Authority
uses to pay government staff since Hamas won parliamentary elections in
January 2006. Western powers have also frozen direct aid to the
Hamas-led government.
“We will not let the Palestinian people down,” Solana pledged.
Diplomats in Riyadh, which hosted Palestinian crisis talks in the
holy city of Mecca last month, speculate that Saudi Arabia wants to
revive the initiative.
The Mecca meeting led to a unity government deal between Islamic group Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction.
HA/BH/BG Source: PressTV |
Middle East