THE BEIRUT DECLARATION:
The Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit
Level, at its 14th Ordinary Session
Source: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Information
Office, Washington DC
March 28, 2002
Reaffirming the resolution taken in June 1996 at
the Cairo extraordinary Arab Summit that a just and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East is the strategic
option of the Arab countries, to be achieved in accordance
with international legality, and which would require
a comparable commitment on the part of the Israeli
Government;
Having listened to the statement made by His Royal
Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, the Crown
Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which His
Highness presented his initiative, calling for full
Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied
since June 1967, in implementation of Security Council
Resolutions 242 and 338, reaffirmed by the Madrid
Conference of 1991 and the land for peace principle;
and for Israel's acceptance of an independent Palestinian
State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in return
for the establishment of normal relations in the context
of a comprehensive peace with Israel;
Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries
that a military solution to the conflict will not
achieve peace or provide security for the parties,
the Council:
- Requests Israel to reconsider its policies and
declare that a just peace is its strategic option
as well.
- Further calls upon Israel to affirm:
a. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories
occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan
Heights to the lines of June 4, 1967, as well as
the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the
south of Lebanon.
b. Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian
Refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance
with UN
General Assembly Resolution 194.
c. The acceptance of the establishment of a Sovereign
Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian
territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967
in the West Bank and Gaza strip, with East Jerusalem
as its capital.
- Consequently, the Arab Countries affirm the following:
a. Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and
enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide
security for all the states of the region.
b. Establish normal relations with Israel in the
context of this comprehensive peace.
- Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian
patriation which conflict with the special circumstances
of the Arab host countries.
- Calls upon the Government of Israel and all Israelis
to accept this initiative in order to safeguard
the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding
of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel
to live in peace and good neighborliness and provide
future generations with security, stability, and
prosperity.
- Invites the international community and all countries
and organizations to support this initiative.
- Requests the Chairman of the Summit to form a
special committee composed of some of its concerned
member states and the Secretary General of the League
of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts
to gain support for this initiative at all levels,
particularly from the United Nations, the Security
Council, the United States of America, the Russian
Federation, the Muslim States and the European Union.
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