The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Tuesday that the Arab peace plan is the last chance for Israel to live in what he described as “a sea of peace” with the Arab world, and warned of the negative consequences of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people.Abbas made his statement after he arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to attend the Arab summit which starts on Wednesday.
“This initiative simply tells Israel that it can live in peace with the whole Arab world, from Mauritania in the west to Indonesia in the east”, Abbas stated, “Israel only has to evacuate from all of the territories it occupies”.
Abbas also said that if Israel rejects this opportunity, there might not be a similar one, and added that this is the most significant initiative since 1948.
Abbas stated, “It provides solutions to all parties that seek a peaceful settlement”.
He added that he asked the American government to recognize the new Palestinian government, since it was chosen by the people who suffered from besiegement and isolation.
“The Palestinians have been isolated since last year, they cannot endure another year of the siege”, Abbas added, “If the world refuses to deal with the government, the consequences will be bad for the Palestinians and the whole region”.
The Arab summit is to renew its offer to Israel in return for a full withdrawal from the occupied territories it seized in 1967, the creation of a Palestinian state and a just solution to the issue of the displaced Palestinian refugees.
The summit also intends to urge the international community to recognize the Palestinian unity government.