Israeli sources reported on Tuesday night that the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia said that Israel should accept the Saudi Initiative as it is, and that Israel is trying to avoid peace in the region by rejecting the initiative presented in 2002.Saud Al Faisal stated that Israel is seeking to “revise” the language of the initiative which was adopted by the Arab League in 2002.
The statements of Al Faisal came in a joint conference in Riyadh with EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Javier Solana.
He added that this deal is not a subject for negotiations; it calls for the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories captured by Israel after the 1967 war, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
In exchange, Israel would receive full diplomatic recognition from the Arab World.
But Israel said it wants to revise the plan since it rejects a full withdrawal from the occupied territories, and wants to maintain its control over settlement blocks and military zones there.
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, stated that “Israel cannot accept the plan without alterations”.
Egypt and Syria said that any changes to the plan will be rejected, especially issues regarding the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees.
Syrian Vice President, Farouq Al Shara' said that the Arab peace plan should be implemented as a whole, without any amendments.
He added that the Right of Return means returning to all of the occupied lands, including Jerusalem”.
The statements of Al Shara' came following his meeting with the Egyptian president, Hosney Mobarak.
Mubarak’s spokesperson, Suleiman Awad, said that Egypt rejects the Israeli demands to amend the plan, stating that “Israel cannot be picky and choose whatever it wants from the plan, and then jump to establish normal relations with the Arab World”.
“The Arab peace plan offers full peace”, Suleiman stated, “Full withdrawal in exchange for full peace”.
